


Higher Plane (English Ver.)

by Midnay



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Violence, Cannibalism, Character Death, F/F, Kidnapping, Murderer, Romance if you look closely, Suicide, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-08-21 14:36:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16578392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midnay/pseuds/Midnay
Summary: Lee Siyeon was just a weak-minded girl, with some psychological problems and dark needs to satisfy.





	1. Inspiration Night

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! This is my first fanfic. I'm sorry if I did something wrong, English is not my first language.
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy it.

Lee Siyeon was just a weak-minded girl.

 

The clock on the wall indicated it was 2:13 in the morning, but she felt as if it was afternoon. Her biological clock was a mess.

 

She was standing in front of the window, her fingers caressed the glass, drawing imaginary pictures on it. She had been there for hours, just looking outside and wondering if the temperature outside was warmer or colder than her room was at the time.

 

Outside there were few cars on the street, there were no people walking, or at least she could not see any from her position, and the rain was getting stronger and stronger.

 

She loved the rain.

 

No, she had loved the rain, but she no longer did.

 

Or maybe she still loved it, but not with the same intensity. Certainly, she didn't know.

 

A thunder and a strong explosion made her close her eyes for a few seconds, she let out a sigh when she opened them again. The light was gone, as she expected, not a surprise.

 

That was probably one of the reasons why the rain had stopped pleasing her.

 

Maybe it wasn't even a reason.

 

Or maybe there was no reason at all. Certainly, she didn't know.

 

Everything was dark now. However, for Siyeon everything was always dark. She moved away from the window and closed the curtains.

 

Despite the darkness, she walked through the apartment without stumbling or hesitation. She remembered the location of things perfectly. Just now she would like to make some joking comment about her "night vision", if she had a friend.

 

When she arrived to the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator and took out one of the 21 bottles of water (without exaggeration, she counted them), then walked to the living room and sat on the couch.

 

As she drank, she thought she heard a sound, something like a grunt. Hunger?

 

No, maybe the sound didn't come from her stomach, but from the outside.

 

She hadn't eaten in two days, maybe she was hungry.

 

Or maybe it was nothing of that kind and she just imagined what she heard in the first place. She certainly didn't know.

 

She placed the bottle on the table in front of the couch and settled down, covering her head with the blanket she brought from her room, and closed her eyes.

 

Lately she had slept very little... about three or four hours in the afternoon, or in the morning, she didn't remember. She also didn't remember how long she had been sleeping on the couch.

 

Her room was comfortable during the day, during the afternoon, during the night, during the rain, during the cold and heat... but not during sleep. She could be there, think there, lie there, eat there, spend the whole day there... but not sleep there.

 

Nightmares.

 

Her bedroom wasn't comfortable enough to sleep anymore, maybe because of the noises filtering through the window.

 

Maybe it wasn't the noises coming from outside, but from inside, from her mind.

 

Or maybe the mattress was old and she had to buy a new one that was more comfortable. Certainly, she didn't know.

 

The rain was getting louder, the sound was the most relaxing she had ever heard. Before she would say that the melodies of a piano were the most relaxing, or even a violin, but the instruments... the music... was no longer something she enjoyed, now it was just a bunch of meaningless noise. Ironic, because Siyeon was the main vocalist and guitarist of an alternative rock band.

 

Her cell phone was starting to ring, she could hear it, too loud for her liking. Lately everything was too much for her liking.

 

With a sigh, she rose and walked with the intention of going to her room, but stopped abruptly. The noise didn't come from her room.

 

She turned on her heels and entered to the kitchen, on the table was her cell phone, the screen was lit illuminating part of the place.

 

She didn't leave her cell phone there, she left it on the bedroom.

 

Maybe someone came in and left it there instead of her bed.

 

Or maybe she was just being paranoid and didn't remember that she herself had left it there. She certainly didn't know.

 

Her mind is not something she could trust, nothing was something she could really trust. Not even herself.

 

When she reacted and took the cell phone, it had stopped ringing. She had over 30 notifications of things she didn't care about at all and a few messages from her parents that she wouldn't respond to.

 

Her cell phone rang again and she answered no before seeing that it was Kim Minji, the leader and bassist of her band.

 

“ _Hello? Siyeon, I need to tell you something”._

 

She didn't answer. She never did.

 

“ _Okay, I'm going to assume you're listening to me”._

 

Siyeon rolled her eyes.

 

“ _Yoobin had some problems with the composition of the last song. Her sister's birthday is in two days and her whole family is going to travel to Brazil for a week as a celebration, I suppose you understand that she wants to have a good time and not work during that time”._

 

“ _Hmm” it was the slight confirmation she pronounced._

 

“ _Well, this is all that's left to start with the recordings and all the rest, so... I wonder if...” her voice was hesitant, almost as if she was afraid of Siyeon's reaction. “Can you finish it? Yoohyeon and I are doing touch-ups on the others and now that you don't have anything to do...”_

 

It was a good way to tell Siyeon that she spent the day locked up in her apartment doing nothing but crying and pitying.

 

She could almost imagine Minji biting her nails while she was waiting for her answer.

 

“ _Hmm”._

 

“ _Is that a yes?”_

 

“ _... Hmm”._

 

“ _Perfect!” shouted the girl on the other side of the line._ _“It won't be too hard, you'll see. Yoobin wrote some notes, I'll send them to you by e-mail”._

 

Siyeon cut off the call, left her cell phone on the table, and in less than 10 minutes she was outside the apartment, in front of a coffee shop that was open all 24 hours, with an umbrella to cover herself from the rain.

 

She did not even remember the last time she went out, but it was not something she was paying attention to now. At this point, All that mattered was the song she had to compose, and the inspiration she had to get to do it.

 

Minutes passed, she didn't count how many. She watched from the outside the six people inside the coffe shop, almost all of them looking like students. She looked at the street, looked at her building, looked at the sky, the traffic signs, the ground, and the water that ran on the asphalt.

 

She felt nothing, as usual.

 

As she was about to leave to look for inspiration in another place, she heard the jingle of the coffee shop bell and turned to see the person leaving the place, a young woman who, unfortunately, didn't have an umbrella and used a book to cover herself from the rain.

 

She had no major interest in it and could have let it pass if it wasn't for the fact that she was wearing a leather jacket with her band logo on the back.

 

When she saw her grumbling and shivering from the cold, she felt something... after a long time she felt something, but she wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was a pity for the girl who was getting wet.

 

Maybe she just wanted to be kind and share her umbrella with her, and then walk together in the rain... Siyeon thought about it for a second even though it sounded very cliche.

 

Maybe talking to a fan would help inspire her (she wanted to think she was a fan and not someone who just bought the jacket because she thought it was nice).

 

Or maybe the girl was too attractive to let her go just like that (although Siyeon had been thinking she was asexual for years).

 

She acted without thinking much, crossing herself in front of the stranger, realizing that the girl was shorter than her even though she was wearing heels. She wasted no time and began to observe her closely. Her hair was dark brown, her skin was pale and soft, her lips were red as well as her dress, her nose was long and profiled, her eyes were black, but somehow they shone... Her face was beautiful and without imperfections.

 

No, she was beautiful from head to toe.

 

Or that nervous expression on her face was even more beautiful than everything else. Certainly, she didn't know.

 

“Uh, excuse me...”

 

Her voice was more hoarse than it was supposed to be, probably because of the days she had been without speaking or the cold environment.

 

It might sound ridiculous, but for a moment she forgot how to talk to someone else. Had such beauty stunned her? Again, it sounded very cliche.

 

She cleared her throat a little and tried again.

 

“I can walk with you, if you want" she said, placing the umbrella over both of them. “Then you won't have to keep getting wet”.

 

She failed in her intent to sound selfless, but she didn't care, if she accepted her company.

 

“No need, don't bother “ and as if that weren't enough, she had a beautiful voice. “Actually, I don't have to go very far”.

 

“It's no bother" she insisted. “Let me go with you”.

 

The girl seemed to hesitate, but then she stared at her, and blinked many times in a very short time before opening her eyes in a surprised expression.

 

“Aren't you...?”

 

Seeing the flame of recognition in her eyes, Siyeon smiled, and the simple act of doing so made her feel strange. It had been so long since the last time she smiled honestly, that she felt a tickle on her lips.

 

“Lee Siyeon" she introduced herself, her smile grew wider. “A pleasure”.

 

“Oh, God... The pleasure is mine! I hardly recognize you by the darkness, I'm sorry... My God, you are Lee Siyeon!”

 

It was funny to see the emotion on the girl's face, even envy, or maybe... She shook her head trying to get her thoughts out, it was no time to think.

 

The girl's anxiety was so intense that it began to infect her.

 

“I don't blame you, it's really too dark in here” that's all she could think to say. “You know me, but I don't know you. What's your name?”

 

“Bora, Kim Bora" she smiled. "I'm really your fan! I've known your band for a few months. I never miss a concert. I have all your albums. I can't believe you're in front of me!”

 

Needless to say, her smile was beautiful too.

 

“Oh... that's...”

 

What was she supposed to say at a time like that? More like, how should she feel? Happy? Excited too? Now she realized how numb she was about it. Months ago she would have cried for happiness, now... now she could only pretend.

 

“Thank you, I don't know what to say" she faked a shy smile. “It's not every day to be recognized by a fan. We don't have many”.

 

And she wasn't lying about that. Her band was doing well in sales, yes, but they didn't have a very big fandom. However, Bora didn't keep quiet and tried to cheer her up.

 

“Don't say that! You have many fans. Maybe not many in Korea, but around the world”.

 

“Thank you" she looked down, thinking about how to change the theme before her mind ruined the moment. “And where were you going? It's too late for you to be walking alone”.

 

“Oh, I just went out for a coffee and read, it helps with the insomnia. Now I'm going home, I live near here, in that building over there" she said.

 

Her heart gave a strong beat, only one, and she beat normally again. She lived in the same building as her.

 

Siyeon thought it was interesting how the girl let herself be carried away by the emotion of meeting an artist that she liked and gave away very important information like that without thinking about how dangerous that could be. Although this time, being her, Bora was safe.

 

Or maybe Siyeon wasn't as inoffensive as she seemed.

 

Or maybe she was simply allowing her mind to keep bothering her. She certainly didn't know.

 

“I live there too. On the fourth floor" she said, taking the girl by the hand, although she didn't seem to notice.

 

Her hands were small, soft and warm.

 

Warm... Really warm.

 

“Are you serious? Me too. I can't believe it!”

 

Siyeon smiled.

 

“What a coincidence, don't you think?”

 

…

 

She didn't know exactly how it happened, but Bora was sitting on the couch in her living room with a big smile, looking around like it was a work of art. She assumed she invited her to come in because it was the most logical thing to do.

 

And when did the light return? She did not even notice. She did not remember the moment they entered the apartment in the first place.

 

This was unusual, it was just disconcerting. How did it happen? Siyeon wouldn't let anyone in, not even her parents, not even Minji, only Yoohyeon (the band's second guitarist and vocalist) had come in once and it was because Siyeon was drunk that day (which she couldn't remember either, by the way).

 

Now there was a beautiful girl, who she recently met, tucked into her apartment, sitting on her couch, looking at her with admiration.

 

When did this night stop making sense?

 

“Uh... I'm sorry about the mess" she said without knowing what to do now.

 

Bora shook her head without wiping the smile off her face.

 

“It's beautiful" she laughed slightly. “I thought it would be like this. I didn't expect it any other way. Artists are... disordered in some way”.

 

Siyeon nodded, strangely agreeing. She was disordered, more than Bora could imagine.

 

She took the empty bottle on the table and looked at the girl for a moment before moving away.

 

“Do you want something? Water maybe?” she asked, walking to the kitchen.

 

“Water is fine!”

 

Her answer relieved her because she had nothing else to offer. Her refrigerator only had 20 bottles of water. The cupboard had nothing but a bit of sugar and honey. Maybe she should buy food.

 

Or maybe she should just stay like that until she died of starvation.

 

Or maybe this wasn't the time to think about anything other than the girl in the living room.

 

Oh, she was sure of something for the first time in a long time. This was no time to think of anything other than the girl in the living room.

 

She took a bottle, opened a drawer and... she smiled, she smiled with no reason, or maybe there was, but she really didn't want to think about it.

 

“Do you want to help me with something?” she asked as she returned to the room.

 

Now she was sitting next to Bora on the couch, with her compositions notebook on her lap.

 

The girl was so excited that she didn't notice Siyeon's dark, slightly sinister gaze.

 

“Of course, I'd love to!” she nodded quickly and smiled. "What can I do for you?”

 

Bora smiled a lot, too much for her liking.

 

“I need to compose a song, but I have something like...” she stopped to think of the right word. “Like a...”

 

“Block of inspiration?” Bora came forward.

 

“Oh, yes... that" she smiled, staring at her. “I think you can help me, just... mention some things that you like”.

 

Bora nodded, playing with the half-empty bottle of water in her hands. Siyeon wanted to read her mind to find out what she was thinking, because she could feel her nervous, and that made her anxious.

 

Or at least she thought that was it.

 

“Okay. I like elephants... I like the color red. I like horror and action movies”.

 

Again she felt a sudden, irregular heartbeat in her chest, but this time followed by others and accompanied by a tickling sensation in her hands.

 

She didn't want to try to know what that was about, not now that she was so focused on Bora's beauty.

 

She wanted _that beauty_ in her song.

 

“Oh, I love the rain, too. And the music.

 

Siyeon got up slowly.

 

“I think it's working, I already have some ideas" she said quietly, more for herself than for the girl.

 

“Really?”

 

“Can you close your eyes?”

 

Bora looked at her confused this time.

 

“Just keep talking like you were doing, but with your eyes closed, I feel more secure that way" she said it so that it sounded convincing.

 

“Eh... Well, here I go”.

 

Bora obeyed even though her smile was now wavering.

 

“Go on, please”.

 

“I like to dance...” her voice vibrated a little. “I like coffee...” she started to stutter. “I like to read and watch movies and dramas...” her hands were also shaking.

 

Siyeon wielded her right hand. Her body moved without her noticing. Or maybe she was aware of what was going on, but she liked to deceive herself by pretending otherwise. Certainly, she wanted to pretend she didn't know.

 

Bora opened her eyes.

 

“Wait... What are you going to do? ... No, stop!”

 

The expression of fear and pain on her face was beautiful.

 

The way her lower lip trembled was beautiful.

 

But nothing was more beautiful to Siyeon than her shining gaze... her makeup began to break down because of some tears that formed in her eyes. It was beautiful.

 

She must have felt guilty about what went through her mind, what she did with her hands, but that was not the case.

 

After all, Lee Siyeon was just a weak-minded girl.

 

Kim Bora was just a beautiful girl and, at the same time, she was all the inspiration she needed.

 

Her skin was even more delicate than she thought.

 

Her dress was more fragile than it seemed.

 

Her hands were warm, but her insides were even warmer.

 

Her hair smelled so good, but her blood smelled even better.

 

And as if that were not enough, her screams were beautiful as well.

…

  
“ _Hello? Siyeon? Are you okay?” Minji asked across the line. “It's very unusual for you to call me and it's very early. I'm getting worried”._

 

“ _I finished the song" answered Siyeon breathlessly, her gaze fixed on the window of her room._

 

The sunlight had never hurt her eyes so much. Maybe it was because of sleep.

 

Maybe it was tears.

 

Or maybe she had spent a long time without blinking. Certainly, it could be all at once.

 

“ _You’re talking to me! Uh... Wait, wait... The song... In one night?!" exclaimed the girl. "You're crazy! I can't believe you”._

 

“ _I sent it to you by e-mail”._

 

“ _Really... you.... Wow... Did you use Yoobin's notes?”_

 

“ _Yes, I did" she sighed and spoke again. “I want to choose the name too”._

 

“ _Oh, well, that's a group decision, but go ahead”._

 

“ _All About You Is Beautiful”._

 

“ _Wow... Since when do you write love songs?” Minji laughed incredulously._

 

“ _It's not love, it's more like...” she put a hand to her head, playing with her hair. “Desire and obsession, a beautiful and anxious desire, and obsession”._

 

“ _Wow, this is so different from you" she laughed again. “It sounds very good and seems to fit the album well. Okay, I'll read it along with Yoohyeon who's still here with me and I'll tell you how we felt about it”._

 

“ _Hey, and another thing, Minji...”_

 

“ _Yeah, tell me”._

 

“ _Can you bring a suitcase later?”_

 

“ _A suitcase? Uh... Sure. What for?”_

 

“ _Look for a big one”._

 

“ _Will you travel?”_

 

“ _No”._

 

“ _Then, what for?”_

 

“ _I want to put away something big”._

 

“ _What will you do, hide a corpse?” she joked with a slight laugh._

 

The line was silent. Minji released an uncomfortable cough seconds later.

 

“ _Are you still there?”_

 

“ _Don't forget to bring the suitcase. Oh, and get a stain remover”._

 

“ _Siyeon, I know you're weird, but what do you need all that for?”_

 

“ _See you later”._

 

…

 

“Where was I?” she mumbled, caressing the hair of the girl lying on her chest. “As a fan, you should be happy. The song I've written is about you and for you”.

 

Bora's hair was a mess. Maybe she would look more beautiful with her hair arranged.

 

Maybe she wasn't so beautiful anymore.

 

Maybe her song stole all her beauty.

 

“Who am I kidding? Everything about you is beautiful" she smiled, caressing the girl's cheeks with the knife's edge, staining them with some blood. “Even lifeless”.

 

She closed her eyes and let herself be carried away by sleep, in her bed, after a long time.

 

At another time, she would be bothered by the wetness and red spots on the bed, but right now she didn't care.

 

Or maybe she was too tired to bother about it.

 

Or maybe she liked it. Certainly, she was calm even if she didn't know it.

 

After all, Lee Siyeon was just a weak-minded girl.


	2. Deleting Evidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was time to get rid of the evidence of crime. But maybe it wasn't how Siyeon expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Cannibalism.
> 
> This can be really disgusting. I don't know what the hell I was thinking when I wrote this. I'm not a killer, I swear. ^^U
> 
> Enjoy the reading.~

She woke up at 9:34 a.m. She didn't sleep much, only three hours, but apparently it was enough rest for her.

 

When she got up, the first thing she did was clean up the mess. She got rid of the pools of blood in the hallway, which went from the living room to the bedroom. She tried to erase the stains on the couch and her bed sheets, but there were still traces, which she would take care of when Minji will carry the stain remover she requested.

 

After taking a shower, she cleaned Bora's body, healed it and sewn her wounds. The clothes that the girl wore were placed inside a black plastic pouch that she hid next to her body in another locked room, one that she used only to store things.

 

The rest of the morning she used it to form a plan. She knew that sooner or later people would notice Kim Bora's absence, whether it was her friends, her partner (if she had one), or her family. She also knew that somehow they might discover that she was the last one to be with Bora, either through security cameras on the street or even a neighbor (in case someone had seen them enter the building or heard the screams the last night).

 

At 2:11 p.m. she's got it all planned out, what she'll do with the corpse and the evidence. Now all she had to do was wait for Minji.

 

Sitting on the couch, she drank a bottle of water for breakfast while waiting for her companion's arrival. Some time passed before someone knocked on the door and she rose like a spring.

 

She opened the door and drew a false smile as she received her leader, and saw that she brought everything she asked.

 

“Hi, Siyeon!”

 

“Hey, Minji" she greeted the girl. “Come in”.

 

The girl came in looking around her with a lot of curiosity, because it was the first time she had invited her in. Although Siyeon assumed that Yoohyeon told the band members about her apartment.

 

“It's very nice. Good color combination. You have good style" said the girl.

 

Siyeon nodded slightly, knowing that if her apartment was ugly, the girl would say the opposite just not to make her feel bad.

 

She took the suitcase and the stain remover and put them in her room and then went back to the living room, finding Minji sitting on the couch, sliding her hand over one of the many stains (which changed from red to a brown tone) on the couch.

 

“What did you spill here, huh?”

 

Siyeon quickly thought of an answer.

 

“Coffee" she lied, sitting next to her. “Last night there was no light and then I stumbled”.

 

“But how many cups did you spill? There are many, and they are big" she mumbled, still looking at the stains. “They don't look like coffee stains”.

 

“They are”.

 

“You say they're recent, but it doesn't smell like coffee anywhere”.

 

As Minji examined the stains with a slightly frown, Siyeon took a moment to look at her. She had dyed her hair blond, just as she said she would do during a band meeting, the last one Siyeon had attended.

 

“You... haven't told me anything about the song" she said, trying to distract the girl.

 

Minji lost interest in the stains, and straightened up, focusing her attention on Siyeon.

 

“That's true. You did great!” exclaimed with a smile. “Yoohyeon and I loved it! I sent it to Yoobin, and she liked it too. You did very well, you must help with the compositions more often”.

 

Siyeon liked her eulogies, but they didn't fill her, they didn't satisfy her as it should. And that bothered her.

 

“I'm glad you liked it" she whispered.

 

There arose the uncomfortable silence to which Minji should have been accustomed by now, but this was interrupted by a noisy ringing tone.

 

Minji held her cell phone and looked at Siyeon as if asking permission to answer, and she only made a gesture, downplaying importance. The blonde-haired girl got up to take the call.

 

“ _Hello? … Not really, why? ... Hey, but I'm with Siyeon... Right now? ... Okay, that's fine. I'm on my way”._

 

Siyeon grimaced playing with her hands, anxious. She wanted Minji to leave as soon as possible so she could finish cleaning everything up.

 

“Hey, Siyeon... I have to go, Yoohyeon has a problem with...”

 

“Don't worry" she interrupted, getting up. “Go”.

 

“Don't you want to go with me?” she proposed, keeping her cell phone. “It's just a computer glitch, I know how to fix it. We'll go out to eat when we're done”.

 

Siyeon shook her head without looking at her face. Her anxiety was increasing.

 

“Thanks for the invitation, but I have to go out and do some things”.

 

Minji nodded sympathetically and approached her for a hug. Although it cost her, Siyeon accepted it and reciprocated as a courtesy.

 

“You're being more communicative than ever, Siyeon" she grinned. “I'm glad you do”.

 

If only Minji knew her true thoughts and intentions...

 

Once Minji was gone, she hurried to the locked room with the suitcase. Siyeon put inside the pouch with the girl's clothes, her heels, her book, cell phone and other belongings, taking for her a silver necklace with an elephant pendant. For a moment she considered also putting Bora's body there, which would not be so difficult due to the girl's small stature, but then she came up with a better idea.

 

She took a firelighter, her keys, and left the apartment. A drop of cold sweat slipped down her forehead as she drove her car to a garbage dump on the outskirts of the city. She threw the suitcase in a pile of garbage and set it on fire with the firelighter.

 

One less problem to worry about.

 

When she returned to her apartment, she was in charge of removing the stains on the couch, the stains on the sheets of her bed, everything that had been stepped on and touched by her victim. Any indication that Kim Bora had been in her apartment the night before had been completely removed.

 

One less problem to worry about.

 

Now she needed to get rid of the main problem; the corpse.

 

Siyeon never thought she would do something so atrocious. She killed a girl for pure pleasure and felt no remorse (or so she thought), but what was worse... now she was dismembering the body. She cut it into pieces, and what she planned to do with that was the most disgusting and disturbing thing she had ever imagined to do.

 

She took her cell phone and dialed a number she had never called before, but had been scheduled for a long time. The number of someone who would help her in her task of getting rid of the body, even without knowing it.

 

_“Hello?" answered a girl. “Hello? Who’s there?”_

_“Handong?”_

_“Yes, it's me... Who are you?”_

_“I'm Siyeon" she replied, playing with her breath and pretending to sob. “Are you busy now?”_

 

She hadn't noticed her good acting skills until now, and she would take advantage of it. Handong was on her way to her apartment, she agreed to have dinner with her, for Siyeon had invented a strong fight with her parents and begged her to accompany her tonight as she felt really bad and needed to be with someone.

 

Han Dong was a friend of the whole band, pianist and occasional vocalist. They met her on a tour they did in China more than 4 years ago. At one concert, she was in the front row and had caught the attention of Yoobin (drummer and co-leader), who eventually invited her to share a few days with the band as a "gift" to the fan (actually, she was only charmed by the beauty of the chinese girl). After a week of getting to know Handong, they had discovered that she played the piano very well and that she had a really good voice. After discussing it in group, Yoobin proposed her to join the band and she accepted under certain terms.

 

One night, in the middle of a party with a few drinks on top, Yoobin told the members that she had a great romantic interest in Handong, but she had not confessed yet. Currenly, no one knew if they were both dating.

 

Handong looked worried about her, listened to her and consoled in her false tears. Siyeon had no doubt that the girl was a kind angel and knew why Yoobin fell in love with her.

 

The foreign girl found Siyeon's attitude strange. To see her being so open and expressive with her now, when just weeks ago she didn't even look at her. In spite of everything, she reserved the comments.

 

Siyeon was also surprised by her own behaviour, but deep down she enjoyed it. She didn't want to be too suspect, but until now things were working out according to her plan.

 

They had dinner together. Handong had no idea what she was eating. She didn't notice anything strange, she thought it was common meat, but it was not.

 

They watched a movie and then Handong went away, when she saw that Siyeon was already feeling better, stated that they could call each other daily and promised to visit from time to time, as long as Siyeon invited her.

 

Last problem solved.

 

At 8:03 p.m. Siyeon allowed herself to breathe calmly. However, the calmness did not last long.

 

“Lee Siyeon...”

 

She jumped and just froze.

 

“Isn't that...? No! It's impossible” she babbled, baffled.

 

She took a deep breath. Maybe she imagined it.

 

Or maybe not.

 

“Lee Siyeon”.

 

Her skin was bristly. Her hands trembling. Her eyes wide open.

 

That was no doubt Kim Bora's voice. But how? How was that possible?

 

“It's not real, it's not real" she said to herself over and over again. “It's not real, I'm just tired”.

 

“You can't run away from me, Lee Siyeon”.

 

She held her breathing, turning her head just a little bit. What she saw took her breath away. Standing in the kitchen doorframe was she, Kim Bora, completely naked with all the wounds on her exposed skin.

 

And she was still beautiful. As beautiful as she was spooky.

 

“I'm dreaming, you're not real" Siyeon sighed, bringing her hands to her head. “This isn't happening, you're not here”.

 

Bora let out a laugh that shook her body completely, approaching her. Siyeon retreated at the same time.

 

“I'm right in front of you!”

 

She felt that her legs could not withstand her weight and fell to her knees, still stunned as she looked at Bora approach and bend down in front of her.

 

“You can't run away from me" she whispered on her face. “You can't run away from what you've done”.

 

“I... killed you" she babbled, on the edge of the panic. “I killed you and I threw away your corpse and belongings”.

 

“Did you think it would be so easy?”

 

“You're dead... You're dead. You're not here”.

 

“Look at me!” she smiled halfway, caressing one of Siyeon's cheeks with her forefinger. “You won’t be spared the consequences of your actions. Your misdeeds will persecute you, strangle you, torment you. You can't get rid of it, you can't get away from me no matter how much you want to... You've chained me to you, for life, Lee Siyeon”.

 

She looked down, tears piled up in her eyes even though she wouldn't let them out. She was so frightened and so confused that she felt her head could explode from one moment to the next. She couldn’t process what was happening.

 

“Hey, don't cry”.

 

Bora sighed, holding Siyeon's face in her hands, although Siyeon didn't really feel the warmth of her skin.

 

“I didn't see you crying when you hit me, when you bit me, when you tore my skin... So, I don't want to see you crying now. Face it, stop hiding in that cowardice and take responsibility!”

 

Siyeon swallowed and backed away from the girl.

 

“You're not real... I'm done with you, Kim Bora!” she shouted trying to get up unsuccessfully. “You're dead!”

 

“That's right...”

 

The girl started crawling slowly towards her.

 

“Shout it louder!” Bora grunted. “Let everyone know what you've done!”

 

Siyeon avoided looking at her as she pulled her hair tightly to try to wake up, but it wasn't a dream.

 

“I'll leave you alone for a while to assimilate it, but someday you'll regret what you did, Lee Siyeon”.

 

Bora suddenly disappeared, but Siyeon still heard her beautiful voice in her mind.

 

“I won't leave your side... Never!”

 

The voice was accompanied by the memories of that moment when her pulse didn't shake to attack her, to do what she wanted with her.

 

“ _Why do you- Ahh, please don’t! Why are you doing this to me?!”_

 

She remembered her voice, ached and scared...

 

“ _Ahh! Please stop... No more... Help!”_

 

She remembered her expression, her cries of pain, her pleas…

 

“ _Please, let me go! Stop... I beg you!”_

 

She remembered her last words…

 

“ _It’s-” she coughed slightly and her head fell to one side. “It’s cold...”_

 

She remembered the exact moment when her eyes closed to never open again. And in the end it was too much for her to handle and her face hit the cold floor, sinking into a deep hole of unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it may be confusing now that Bora has come into play again, but everything will be resolved as the story progresses.
> 
> I hope I didn't disappoint anyone.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things changed, but she was still there. If Siyeon couldn't get rid of her, then she would have to learn to deal with her, and that had gone better than she expected.

She woke up disoriented.

 

She rose from the floor slowly, with difficulty, wondering how she ended up sleeping on the floor and in such an uncomfortable position. She looked around with half-closed eyes as intense pain hammered her head.

 

It was day, so the entire room was illuminated. The TV was still on, it was on the same channel she had been watching after Handong left.

 

She stood for a while, just breathing. Her body felt as tired as the night before, so she found it hard to believe that she had really slept.

 

Suddenly a distorted image crossed her mind and disappeared, the stele of a memory. It happened once, then again, and repeated itself until the images were perfectly captured in her mind. Siyeon had rather thought it was a dream.

 

Because it's not possible that really happened last night.

 

Ghosts don't exist.

 

Right?

 

She sighed.

 

She took the remote control and turned off the TV, then went to her room. Everything seemed normal, but she still came in with nervous steps. She felt in danger, scared, vulnerable, and she didn't like those feelings.

 

She threw herself into bed, and her back was grateful for the contact with the mattress. She stretched herself a little thinking that resting would relieve her pain, closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

 

“Siyeon...”

 

She held her breath. Everything was silent.

 

That voice again.

 

That damned and beautiful voice would be a torment in her life from now on. Was it an entity sent by that supreme being called God, to make her repent of her bloody sins? To punish her for the time she had left of her life?

 

Was it the same for all murderers? She wondered.

 

She breathed again as she made a decision; real or not, she was in control of her miserable life.

 

Lee Siyeon would not be the fun of any fucking ghost, entity, hallucination, dream or whatever.

 

“Go to hell, Kim Bora" she mumbled.

 

She kept her eyes closed, she could hear Bora walking around the room.

 

“Why should I go there? I didn't do anything wrong" she replied abruptly. “You, on the other side, have more than a VIP ticket”.

 

She couldn't deceive herself, she was afraid of the situation. She couldn't believe what was going on.

 

Had she really gone crazy?

 

“The demons will love having you among them”.

 

“Go wherever you have to go!” she shouted, not wanting to hear her again.

 

“Of course not!” she laughed. “I told you I won't leave you alone. Never”.

 

Her heart was so fast that it hurt every time it beat against her chest. Her stomach twisted. She didn't want to faint again... her body became cold, sweaty and heavier.

 

“Oh... What's wrong?” she asked in a teasing tone, very close to her. “Did... the food hurt you?”

 

Siyeon opened her eyes before getting up and running to the bathroom in her room to throw back last night's dinner.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Shut up!" she grunted through her arcades, trying to calm down.

 

“What a pity. I thought you liked my sweet flavor”.

 

She knew exactly what to say and how to say it to shake her stomach. Siyeon knelt down to continue throwing up as she listened to Bora's creepy laugh behind her.

 

**…**

 

Some time passed.

 

Bora disappeared after a few hours, which Siyeon was deeply grateful for, but feared that she would reappear at any moment. Whatever she was, her presence was stormy.

 

After emptying her stomach, she took a bath in hot water to try to relax, and dressed in comfortable clothes; jeans, a loose t-shirt and some old shoes.

 

With her stomach starting to burn, she decided it was time to go to the market. So, she found herself making a list of what she was going to buy. She stopped to think for a moment as she added "milk" to the list.

 

She couldn't remember the last time she went to the market.

 

Since she murdered Bora, something changed inside her. Although her mind was still something strange and twisted, difficult to see and understand, she felt a little more aware of her environment, her own body and her emotions.

 

Also it's as if something had awakened.

 

But... What exactly?

 

She shook her head away from her thoughts, fearing that they might somehow attract Bora's presence. She finished the list and went for her wallet before she left.

 

As Siyeon walked down the stairs (she didn't like elevators), she couldn't help but look around with some fear. It was very strange that no one had heard the girl's screams the night before and no one had called the police, maybe all her neighbors were waiting downstairs to attack her in a group or something.

 

However, her concern ended soon and she left the building without any problems; there was no one waiting for her, no one looking at her, and even the guard at the door ignored her presence.

 

She went to the underground parking lot and got into her car.

 

**...**

 

Time passed, but no one asked about Bora.

 

No one was looking for her.

 

Or so it seemed.

 

**...**

 

The band did very well in the following weeks, Siyeon's compositions had captured the attention of many people, the fans had tripled, the tours didn't take long and the tickets to their concerts were sold out in less than two hours; their fame increased to such an extent that they couldn't leave home without having a large line of people waiting for an autograph, a photo or just to see them.

 

The girls were obviously excited, especially Minji, who was proud to lead them. A month later they still didn't believe it, they had even moved from their agency to another one that offered them a contract they definitely couldn't refuse.

 

Things couldn't be better, everyone was comfortable, satisfied, happy... except Siyeon.

 

“Singnie~" started a silver-haired girl, entering to the studio where Siyeon used to spend the last few weeks, sitting in a chair next to her.

 

Siyeon, who kept her head resting on the table above her compositions notebook, only raised one hand in greeting.

 

“Everyone is gone, now we’re just Minji, you and me" said the girl, placing one hand on the other's shoulder and shaking it a little. “Why don't you go home and rest? It's late”.

 

“What time is it?”

 

“A little after 9:30”.

 

She raised her head, looking suspiciously her notebook on a completely blank page. She snorted.

 

“Still nothing?”

 

Siyeon grimaced and then answered. “Nothing at all”.

 

“You'll think of something" she smiled slightly. “You just need to rest and let it flow by itself, without pressure, like that night, don't you think?”

 

That night.

 

Siyeon looked away, nodding absently.

 

“Come on, don't worry too much about that. We still have time to-" she fell silent when she noticed something that she hadn't seen at first.

 

She bowed her head at an angle that would allow her to see better. Hidden behind a monitor, was a half-empty bottle on the table next to a glass cup. And it wasn't the first time, it was already the fifth time Siyeon had been caught drinking... in the same week.

 

“Siyeon, I've told you hundreds of times that...”

 

“I'm old enough to do what I want, Yoohyeon, thank you”.

 

“But the CEO said...”

 

“I'll talk to him later" she interrupted her, closing the notebook. “If it bothers you all so much, I won't do it here anymore, okay”.

 

“Alcohol is not the solution. You know we're all here to help each other. If you need inspiration you can...”

 

“You start to talking like Minji. Look, I appreciate that you want to help me, but I know what I'm doing" she took the notebook and the bottle before getting up, under the worried gaze of the contrary. “I'm going home. I'll see you Monday”.

 

“Won't you come tomorrow?”

 

Yoohyeon got up, took Siyeon's bag, which had been hanging on the back of the chair, and then followed her as she walked to the door.

 

“Do you all want me to rest, don't you?" she replied with an indecipherable expression. “Well, that's what I'll do. I will stay at home”.

 

The chestnut, with some white tufts, rushed out while Yoohyeon chased her down the corridors of the agency to the parking lot. Siyeon opened the door of her new car (bought a few days ago) and rushed in, placing the bottle in the middle of her legs and throwing her notebook on the co-driver's seat.

 

“Wait... I can take you home, if you want" she said worried. “It's not good for you to drive in that condition”.

 

“What's the worst that can happen? Kill me?" she grunted, inserting the key and starting the engine.

 

“Or that you kill someone”.

 

She pressed her own lips and tried to close the door, but Yoohyeon held her.

 

“Wait, you forget your bag!”

 

Siyeon snatched her bag from her, throwing it on the back seats.

 

“Are you sure you don't want a ride? I can keep you company for a while, too”.

 

“No, thank you. Better go with your girlfriend”.

 

“Wait, wait...”

 

She closed the door, almost catching Yoohyeon's hand if she had not been fast enough, and started immediately.

 

“Yah, Lee Siyeon!” she complained, between angry and worried. “Aish, this idiot”.

 

The car left her view in a few seconds, so she just sighed and turned to go back into the establishment and look for her girlfriend to go home. Minji was going to scold her for letting Siyeon drive off like that, inside she was praying that her friend's unconsciousness wouldn't cause an accident.

 

As Minji pulled Yoohyeon's ear leaving the building, Siyeon drove to her apartment, releasing curses here and there, and that had nothing to do with alcohol but with stress; she had good resistance to drinking, but every day the stress increased to the point of being unbearable.

 

At that time she rarely found fans on the way or outside her building, so she was able to get home and enter without problems, after taking a picture with two guys she met while she was climbing the stairs. She placed the bottle on the living room table and threw her bag next to the notebook on the couch, dropping into it afterwards.

 

“I didn't expect you here so early" a voice interrupted the silence. “But it's good to have you back”.

 

Siyeon saw her standing next to the TV.

 

Kim Bora.

 

She sighed.

 

For her fortune, or misfortune, she could still see Kim Bora in her apartment, once she appeared she never left again. Some things changed, but she was still there. Siyeon went to some psychiatrists (absolutely omitting the crime and explaining the situation superficially and vaguely), but that didn't help, they didn't make Bora disappear; they only prescribed pharmacological drugs (mostly antipsychotics) that she didn't need (according to herself). So, in the end she gave up. Actually, she had become accustomed to her presence over the past few weeks. If she couldn't get rid of her, then she would have to learn to deal with her, and that had gone better than she expected.

 

Sometimes she became really unbearable when she tried to make her suffer, but most of the time she was a good company for Siyeon; someone she could vent to and be herself, she didn't feel alone being with her, and even though she didn't know what she really was, she felt good about it.

 

Sometimes Bora acted like a normal person (alive). Siyeon saw her eat, bathe, change her clothes (although she didn't know where she got it from). She usually stayed at home, although sometimes she went out with Siyeon when she went to the market, even accompanied her in some concerts and when she went on a trip.

 

You could say... that she took a certain affection to her.

 

Maybe too much.

 

“Drinking again?" mumbled Bora, shaking her head as she looked at the bottle on the table. “I told you that won't make everything go away... nothing will”.

 

“I know that!" she exclaimed, rising from the couch, looking at the chestnut in front of her. “That's not why I do it”.

 

“Then, why?”

 

She turned around and left without answering her. Bora followed her into the bedroom. Siyeon took off her jacket and threw it into the laundry basket before sitting on the edge of the bed. Her gaze fixed on the window as she played with her hands.

 

Kim Bora's disappearance had an article in the newspaper, and in the TV news they had also mentioned it; **a couple in Changwon are desperately looking for their 24-year-old daughter** , a beautiful photograph of Bora beside the title. Her parents reported her disappearance, they had a quarrel one night and she left with all her things and they never heard from her again, she wasn't even answering her cell phone. The police had no clue as to her whereabouts, but the way the situation had presented itself, everything seemed to indicate that the girl had left Changwon to know nothing about her parents and start a new life, so they closed the case like that.

 

Quite unfair, Siyeon thought, but it was better for her that way. Thanks to the song she wrote that night and the ones that came days later, everything in Siyeon's life began to get better, her band was doing well, she was interacting more with people, her family finally accepted her and they recognized and congratulated all her achievements. However, she was still afraid that everything would come to light and the police would come looking for her.

 

And although everything was going better, again, little by little, she felt like a month ago. To that she added that with each passing day she became more interested in Bora and her life... or the one she had before that night.

 

Why did she care? What did she feel about her? What exactly was Bora, a ghost?

 

Did it make sense?

 

“Bora”.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“You... your parents said that you three had a quarrel, why?” She sighed, squeezing her hands. “Where did you moved? Which one of those apartments out there is yours?”

 

“Why do you ask that? Is it important now?”

 

“Just answer”.

 

“I don't know”.

 

“What do you mean you don't know?”

 

“Well, I don't know. I was in the coffe shop and when I came out I met you, and that's all" she raised her voice a little, to the defensive. “I don't remember anything before the moment we met. I already told you”.

 

She was silent, shaking her head slightly.

 

“Why have you been asking me such questions lately?” Bora asked, in a teasing tone. “That's in addition to the alcohol... It seems like your conscience is starting to itch, isn't it?”

 

Siyeon rolled her eyes.

 

“You wish, but no, not even close" she said, taking her gaze off the window, focusing it now on the floor. “And the fact that I'm drinking... is not about you”.

 

“If it's not me... What's bothering you?”

 

She sighed, debating whether to tell her or not, but after all Bora was always there to listen to her... and it's not like she could tell anyone else, anyway.

 

“I haven't been able to... compose these days, no matter how hard I tried. Lack of inspiration, maybe" she started quietly, her gaze lost. “I'm getting annoyed again by that... that emptiness inside of me... And the anxiety, I don’t know. I feel that I need something, that I must..."

 

“Do it again?”

 

“Hmm?" She lifted her head to look at her.

 

Bora grimaced, looking away.

 

“To kill again... everything you did to me, you know”.

 

Siyeon swallowed, shrugging her shoulders.

 

“Probably”.

 

“Would you do it again?”

 

“Would you be bothered?”

 

She was worried about her opinion, what she thought, she didn't want to make her feel bad or arouse her anger, but she was relieved to see the chestnut shook her head. She really cared about Bora, she loved her, and she wondered how problematic that would be in the future.

 

“Do you think that would work?”

 

“Do you think so?” Bora said.

 

Siyeon took a breath and hold it as she thought. Her heart was beating hard and her hands became even more restless.

 

“Yeah, I think so”.

 

“Then, let's do it!" she said, clasping her hands in a clap.

 

“What?" Siyeon asked confusedly. "Let's?"

 

“Yes. You're not alone in this, remember?" she smiled slightly, winking. “We'll do it together”.

 

They two?

 

Kill someone together?

 

Kim Bora > Bora.

 

Victim then > Accomplice now.

 

“Sounds like fun”.

 

...

 

“Oh, and just so you know... you don't bother me at all”.

 

"Are you sure about that?”

 

“Yeah”.

 

“That's good to know. Well, I suppose I'm going to...”

 

“I like you" she said suddenly.

 

Those words made Bora stop and staring at her.

 

“You, well...”

 

Siyeon coughed.

 

“I like that you be with me, I mean”.

 

Bora smiled and approached her slowly before sitting on her lap, her arms around her neck and Siyeon's arms around her waist. Their bodies very close and their faces centimeters away.

 

A slight touch of lips, which Siyeon barely managed to feel.

 

“I love you too, Siyeon”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! I think that only 4 chapters are left or maybe less, all depends on how extensive the content of each chapter is. ^^
> 
> Sorry if I did something wrong:( or if I made any grammatical or spelling mistakes (English is a fxckxng beautiful language and I want to use it correctly).
> 
> See you soon.~ Thanks for reading!


	4. Show Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So close to the end, but this was just beginning. Things would get funnier from now on, because Siyeon was the director of this show.

It was a boring day for the rest of the band. The girls didn't have much to do except practice and prepare for an event in Daegu where they would be participating in a few days.

 

No doubt they loved what they were doing, the music was their greatest passion. However, once their hobby became their job and their dream came true, the pressure fell on their shoulders; the constant reminder that they had to get better, work harder every day and fill expectations became more and more exhausting.

 

Even though the event was a good opportunity for the band and they were excited about it, the atmosphere felt a bit heavy.

 

"Rehearsals are not the same without Siyeon”.

 

"Don't say it so loud" said Yoobin, sitting on the stool in front of the drum kit. "If that gets into her ears it can climb to her head, and I have no intention to deal with something like that”.

 

"Yah, you're just jealous because Singnie's songs get more attention than yours”.

 

Yoobin grunted and Yoohyeon tried to run away from the drummer's rage, but she threw one of their drumsticks at the tallest girl, hitting her right on the forehead.

 

Handong and Minji shook their heads from their positions as Yoohyeon stroked her flushed forehead.

 

It was really obvious to all of them that Yoobin felt displaced, after all she was in charge of composing the songs, but in a blink of an eye (literally in one night) Siyeon had earned all the attention and praise from the agency and fans at the same time. Nonetheless, that didn't mean it was okay to hate Siyeon just because she had talent and she was getting well-deserved appreciation from people.

 

Minji understood both sides perfectly; on the one hand, Yoobin felt replaced, inefficient; and on the other hand, Siyeon was leaving her shell and isolation, she was showing all her hidden talents.

 

From a more metaphorical point of view: Siyeon was blossoming as Yoobin was wilting.

 

As a leader, Minji maintained an impartial and fair stance, so things would be at peace with each other on the subject, but sometimes it got out of her hands. Luckily Yoohyeon, in addition to being an excellent girlfriend, was also a good source of support for her and she always was there to help her lighten the mood when it was necessary.

 

But Yoohyeon was human too, and clumsy. Then, sometimes it turned out that she was the one who accidentally brought up the unwanted debate.

 

"I say Yoohyeon is right, Siyeon's absence is very remarkable even though she doesn't talk much”.

 

Handong... Well, she was a bit of a different story. Minji was really happy that she and Siyeon had finally become close, but sometimes Handong defended Siyeon too much, sometimes she seemed to discredit almost completely Yoobin's work and effort, and Minji did not agree with that. They both did their own thing, and they did it well. There was no need to compare them.

 

Besides, wasn't Yoobin and Handong into something? It would make more sense that Handong to support her instead of Siyeon, at least a little more. The situation was very confusing.

 

"The absence of any of us is remarkable" Yoobin told Handong. "We are Dreamcatcher not Siyeoncatcher”.

 

"You're right, I don't say otherwise. I think you took it the wrong way”.

 

"Well, you've been talking about her all day. I'm sick of it”.

 

Handong frowned at the other girl's tone.

 

"Is it wrong if we talk about Siyeon?"

 

"No, it's just annoying”.

 

"If you would gave her a chance, you would see that she's a very nice girl".

 

"Oh, yes, of course" she said ironically. "Sure she is”.

 

Minji opened her mouth and closed it again, not knowing how to interrupt the discussion. Yoohyeon was also looking for a way to stop the conversation, playing some guitar strings randomly, but it didn't work.

 

"Speaking of her... Does anyone know if she got home safe?" Minji said, getting into the conversation. "She was drinking when she left last night, Yoohyeon tried to stop her, but... you know how she is”.

 

"I talked to her today" Handong replied. "She was very fine”.

 

"Are you two so close?" Yoobin asked, frowning.

 

"We are" replied the pianist immediately. "Do you have a problem with that?"

 

"No way" she snorted, turning the drumstick left in her hands. "You can do whatever you want, I don't care”.

 

"That's good” she smiled. The most fake smile Minji ever saw from her. "Because I wouldn't distance myself from her, even if you ask me to".

 

"So sweet" she replied, sarcastic.

 

"Breathe a little, don't let the jealousy dominate you" whispered Yoohyeon, near Yoobin, but without malicious intent.

 

"Do you want me to hit you again? I have dozens of drumsticks and two big fists”.

 

"Alright, alright. Stop both of you" intervened the leader. "Let's take a break, okay?"

 

The atmosphere became even heavier and more tense. Her girlfriend looked at her, so Yoohyeon tried to fulfill her task of being the pillar of the band's good humor.

 

"Let's do something fun" she said, pouting a little while putting away her guitar.

 

"If playing Fortnite is your idea of fun, I'll pass" said the drummer, getting up and stretching her numb legs.

 

"No, it's not that this time" she complained. "I mean, go out for a while and do something interesting. Out of these four walls”.

 

"And what could we do?" asked Minji.

 

"I don't know... Go to the zoo?" suggested Yoohyeon, suddenly excited.

 

"Yes, we should go. We have to return an annoying escaped giraffe" Yoobin said.

 

"Yoobin, don't compare me to a giraffe!"

 

"I didn't say names, but it's funny that you've identified yourself".

 

Minji smiled at the occurrences of the two minors in the group and took charge of turning off and disconnecting the amplifiers and loudspeakers. At least Siyeon's subject died.

 

"Let's get something to eat" said the blonde. Which was quite predictable. Food was the third thing she loved most after her girlfriend (also her family) and her fans.

 

"Do you feel like dealing with fans and paparazzis?" Yoobin asked, putting on a coat. "Because I'm not in the mood”.

 

"You're never in the mood for anything" complained Yoohyeon next to her. "Isn't there really something you like? Something that isn't teasing me”.

 

The drummer looked at Handong for a moment, and when she realized it, she looked away. Yoobin sighed and looked at Yoohyeon again to answer her.

 

"Well... your silence”.

 

"There must be hundreds of fans at the door of the building! We could sign autographs and take pictures with them for a while" Minji said, ignoring the two girls talking behind her back. "Isn't it exciting?"

 

"I'm joining that'' Yoohyeon smiled, approaching to hug her girlfriend. "Our fans are really loving and talented. Maybe they give us gifts, remember the portrait they drew of Dongdong? That was amazing”.

 

Yoobin sighed, resigned.

 

"Okay, I'll join too".

 

"This will be fun! Do you want to do fanservice with me? Fans like to watch us fool around together”.

 

"They or you?" Minji joked, trying to look jealous, but failed.

 

"Baby, you know temperamental people aren't my type" answered the tallest, kissing the oldest's cheek. "The other day we were playing and I joked innocently with her, but she almost hit me in front of the whole audience”.

 

"Innocent? You better not try to make a fool of me in front of them again, Yoohyeon, because I won't be responsible for what might happen”.

 

"Honey, she is threatening me!"

 

Minji only laughed squeezing the girl in her arms as they left the room, but stopped when she noticed that someone was missing.

 

"Aren't you coming, Dongie?" asked the leader from the door.

 

Handong had been silent since the uncomfortable conversation with Yoobin, so Minji was worried that things would go beyond a scene of jealousy.

 

"I still want to practice" replied the foreign girl, without looking up. "And then I'll go home, I'm tired”.

 

Minji looked at her sceptically.

 

"Are you sure?”

 

Handong nodded and smiled, organizing her musical scores.

 

"Have fun for me”.

 

Yoobin grimaced, folding her arms. She tried to pretend that nothing happened, but her tension and discomfort were very evident. She screwed up this time with the chinese girl and knew she would have to apologize somehow.

 

"It's okay. If you need anything, call me”.

 

"I will”.

 

Yoohyeon and Minji left the room hugged and continued their lively conversation, but Yoobin stood at the door looking at Handong.

 

The orange-haired girl sighed almost imperceptibly and began to play the piano keys. Her own version of a song. Yoobin didn't know that song, but it sounded beautiful. She thought maybe Handong was improvising until she started singing. And then she recognized the song.

 

“ _What's the trick?_ _  
__I wish I knew_ _  
__I'm so done with thinking_ _  
t_ _hrough all the things I could've been_ _  
a_ _nd I know you want me too_ _”._

 

Her angelic voice, which could easily compete with those of Siyeon and Yoohyeon, filled the room. For a moment she was hypnotized. The drummer didn't know whether to interrupt and apologize to her or continue to enjoy the melody. She had a way of singing that made her feel chills (in a pleasant sense).

 

“ _What's the point in saying that,_

_when you know how I'll react?_

_You think you can just take it back,_

_but shit just don't work like that”._

 

That's when she stared into her eyes, and that's when Yoobin began to find a true meaning to the song... and she didn't like what she was understanding.

 

“ _You're the drug that I'm addicted to_

_and I want you so bad_

_Guess I'm stuck with you_

_and that's that”._

 

Handong looked down at her hands, which skillfully pressed the keys.

 

“ _'Cause when it all falls down, then whatever_

_When it don't work out for the better”._

 

High and long notes perfectly reached, which Yoobin could not enjoy correctly because she gave too many turns to the lyrics of the song.

 

“ _If it just ain't right, and it's time to say goodbye_

_When it all falls down, when it all falls down_

_I'll be fine”._

 

At the end of the chorus she stopped singing, but continued playing for a while longer. She had probably forgotten the lyrics, maybe she didn't want to sing anymore, or maybe she was giving Yoobin a chance to talk.

 

She coughed to get her attention, but she kept playing.

 

"I'm sorry... for the scene before”.

 

"Is an apology all you need to fix things?" she asked, eventually stopping her fingers on the piano keys.

 

"I got upset, I crossed the line. All right, I admit it" she began to take steps to approach her as she spoke. "It bothers me when you talk about Siyeon, it really seems like you have more than just a friendship, or maybe it's just my jealousy blinding me. And I know I don't have the right to claim you for it, but..."

 

"Indeed, you don't" interrupted the girl, sighing. "Listen, Yoobin. I tried to keep it as long as I could, but I'm not comfortable with this anymore”.

 

"What?" she blinked. "You mean you're breaking up our thing?"

 

"Our thing?" Handong smiled sadly. "You remember that _our thing_ is not really something serious, right?"

 

She turned around to get her handbag and put her things away, while the drummer looked at her. Just as she was about to leave the room, she was stopped by Yoobin.

 

"I really, really, want to fix things”.

 

Handong shook her head.

 

"You know what? I don't want to go back to the same thing as before. You must accept my decision. This has no future" she looked down. "My feelings are the same, but I refuse to be just another girl on your list. I deserve more than that”.

 

"This is for Siyeon, isn't it?" she snorted. "A few days ago everything was fine, what changed?"

 

Handong didn't answer, instead she tried to get out again, but Yoobin grabbed her arm. Then, she looked into her eyes, her cheeks flushed because of anger, and let out the harshest words she would ever say to Yoobin, which broke something inside the drummer.

 

"You don't have the courage to be honest with me about what you want from me, or what you really want us to be. And I wouldn't date you if you don't change your behavior first. If you really want me, you wouldn't be dating other girls. I know half of those girls, did you know that? And you don't respect me either! Do you think you can treat me like this whenever you want? Who do you think I am, huh?" she exclaimed abruptly, liberating herself of the other girl's grip. Yoobin was just looking at her. "I'm not your property. It's ridiculous that you do this, when you know that you and I are nothing. And whatever has happened between us, if you continue on this way, will be considered only a mistake for me”.

 

Yoobin was too surprised to respond.

 

"And it will be nothing more than that. I don't want us to see each other anymore. Actually... I'm going to leave the band and I'm just waiting for the right moment to tell the girls”.

 

"Dong..." Yoobin felt that her world was falling apart in a matter of seconds.

 

"The day you're honest with me and decide to change, that day we could try... something, maybe a real friendship to start with. So, please, don't call me”.

 

"Dong”.

 

"Goodbye, Yoobin”.

 

The drummer only saw her going away and cursed when the door closed.

 

…

 

Sitting on the couch in the living room, Siyeon was thinking about what she had talked with Bora. The girl disappeared and she had to come up with a plan on her own, based on all the advice she gave her. She knew that Bora wanted to do it as much as she did.

 

The first time was spontaneous and completely messy, now she had to be neat and careful. That night she used a knife, this time she wanted to use something new... a baseball bat would be nice, maybe a hammer, or she could use her own hands.

 

She smiled as she imagined taking a random girl in the street and strangling her. She smiled even more with the idea of torturing her and lengthening the agony as much as possible. Then she thought of Bora and managed to calm down a bit. Her hands tickled, but everything was under control. Her wishes could wait a little longer.

 

Her eyes lit up when several ideas came into her mind, the plan was easily created on its own and she was dying to carry it out with Bora.

 

She took her keys and went out, at the same time as a boy was doing it in the apartment in front of her. She recognized him, Lee Taemin, he was a pretty good choreographer and had been her neighbor for a year, but she hadn't seen him for a long time. He hadn't changed much, now that she saw him, but his hair was a little longer and he had dyed it red.

 

He smiled when he saw her.

 

"Good afternoon, Siyeon" he greeted, with a small bow. "How fortunate to have found you now, I need to ask you something”.

 

Siyeon frowned and looked at him, expectantly.

 

"I was not here for a few months, did you notice?" he knew how Siyeon lived her life, he wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't noticed his absence. "I went to Japan and left my apartment to a friend, she would live here for a while. I came back sooner than expected, and she doesn't answer my calls or my messages, it looks like her cell phone is disabled or something. I'm worried that something happened to her or that her parents forced her to back home”.

 

She squinted her eyes at the strange presentiment she was feeling. Could it be her?

 

"All of her belongings are still there, but it seems like nobody's been in there for a while. Did you see her, by any chance?"

 

Her mouth dried up. She shook her head.

 

"She's short, chestnut hair, she's really very attractive... Wait, I'll show you a picture” he said holding him cell phone.

 

Once the screen was placed in front of her eyes. She felt a chill running through her body.

 

Bora.

 

"Her name is Bora, she is a dancer and choreographer for an agency I work for”.

 

Bora.

 

"I'm really worried about her, the CEO said he hasn't seen her all this time”.

 

"Kim Bora..." came out of her mouth, she couldn't help it.

 

"Yes, yes, that's her!" Taemin smiled, looked relieved. "So, you know her. Tell me, have you seen her recently? Do you know where she is?"

 

"No, no, I don't" Siyeon quickly shook her head. Her chest was burning. "I have to go" she said almost out of breath.

 

"Please, call me if you hear from her" he shouted, as Siyeon ran down the stairs.

 

In less than 5 minutes she was already in her car. She hit her head against the steering wheel as she cursed. Now a neighbor knew that she knew Bora. It was a matter of a short time before he knew everything. What if he discovered that Bora had been in her apartment? What if he told someone else? What if he called the police?

 

What if he had already done so?

 

She looked through the windows and through the rearview mirror to make sure there were no police surrounding her, Bora was sitting in the back seats. To her relief, the parking lot was free of people.

 

"Don't worry about it! He won't tell anyone”.

 

"What if he does?”

 

"We'll kill him, simple" answered Bora.

 

Simple.

 

She had to be careful with Taemin and be ready to get rid of him when it was necessary. She thought she heard a siren, so she looked through the rearview mirror again.

 

Nothing.

 

"Enough" Bora said to get her attention. "We are going to carry out that wonderful plan that we have created”.

 

Siyeon nodded.

 

She reached for a mask, put a hooded sweatshirt over the sleeveless shirt she was wearing, and put on sunglasses to complete her incognito costume.

 

She took her cell phone and opened an online sales and shopping app. She waited for the application to start. She had some notifications of likes on a publication that she posted to sell her car (nothing more than a trap) and six messages in her inbox.

 

One of those messages caught her attention.

 

Probably because she had just received it.

 

Or maybe because her username made her feel something.

 

_**15:21 > littlecat19:** Hi, I'm very interested in buying your car! It's exactly what I'm looking for, it's very cool ^w^ I have the money you ask for, do we do the deal? _

 

Without further ado, she wrote her answer and pressed 'send'. Once done, she looked at Bora (now at her side) and smiled.

 

"The show begins”.

 

…

 

Siyeon entered the elevator with a fainted girl in her arms, when the clock struck 7:59 pm. She hated elevators, but definitely wouldn't go up the stairs with the girl all over her. She didn't want anyone else to see the girl. The guard at the door looked at her suspiciously, even though Siyeon told him that "her friend" had just fallen asleep in the car.

 

The plan had undergone a drastic change. She waited for the girl who owned the username "littlecat19" in front of the restaurant where she said she worked. The best thing was that the girl had no idea who Lee Siyeon or Dreamcatcher was and that made things more interesting. She showed her the car and drove to check that it was in good condition, then Siyeon said she would take her back. Everything was going well until the girl realized that something was wrong when Siyeon closed the locks and drove in the opposite direction to the restaurant.

 

Siyeon had no choice. She had to use physical force to keep the girl calm; one blow and that was it.

 

Things didn't turn out as she planned, which was to keep the saleswoman's facade nice, invite her into her apartment and then attack her in the comfort of her bedroom, but it wasn't that bad.

 

Or maybe it was really bad, but it was too late to stop. Certainly, she was sure that Bora would protect her if things got out of control.

 

Bora would be able to help her get rid of any problems. Bora was a supreme, powerful, wonderful, fantastic and invincible being. Bora was a goddess, her salvation, her everything. Bora would make her powerful too.

 

Bora would help her prove that they were both superior beings. That humans could not compare to them! That no being could fight them. That their intellect, their strength and their ingenuity had no limits. That no one would defeat them. That the world was in the palm of their hands and that they would control everything.

 

Because Siyeon was special. And Bora would teach her to reach her highest potential.

 

She dropped the girl on the living room floor and looked at her from above; her clothes, a uniform consisting of a short-sleeved red shirt, which on the back had "Lee Gahyeon" written in black letters, and a black skirt; her body, correctly proportioned, legs that anyone would wish to have and clear, soft skin; her face, a work of art, fluffy cheeks, long eyelashes and pink lips.

 

She stroked her hair, long and silky. The girl complained still unconscious, like a baby. Her heart trembled with tenderness. She wanted to embrace her and lull her into her arms.

 

She was special too, Siyeon felt it, as she did with Bora.

 

What would it be like to put Gahyeon's tenderness into a song? What would it be like to take her to the highest plane of power? What would it be like to turn her into what Bora was?

 

She smiled as she leaned over to grab the unconscious girl's ankles and began dragging her across the floor as Bora watched from the couch.

 

"This would be easier if you gave me a hand”.

 

"That's your job, honey, not mine" she replied, laughing.

 

"And what's yours? I've done everything so far”.

 

She wasn't really annoyed, but she thought it was fun to make fun of the situation.

 

"Hey, we're one, remember?" she complained, looking at her like she was outraged. "We are one mind. You are me and I am you. Therefore, we work to the same extent”.

 

"Whatever you say, boss”.

 

In a few seconds they were in the room and Siyeon threw the girl on the bed. She then played with her hands as she thought about what to do with Gahyeon now, but her thoughts were interrupted by knocks on the door.

 

Damn it.

 

In panic, Siyeon looked for Bora, but she wasn't there. Now she was alone.

 

She ran to the door and looked through the small hole in the middle of it. She didn't know whether to be relieved to see she wasn't a police officer, but the girl with the orange mane out there, or to feel excited because now she could have double the fun.

 

Now that she thought about it... Was Handong special too?

 

Maybe. Only maybe she was. She would think more deeply about it. But whatever the case, she already had a great idea in mind, and that involved Yoobin. It would be to kill two birds with one stone, wouldn't it?

 

In her mind she drew a chessboard, where there were only four pieces; a black queen and three white pawns. In this sense, everything is decided, this game has a pre-established end. For anyone it would be really boring to continue when you already know who will win the battle, but she liked it, she wanted to reach that point, the highest plane.

 

A movement was underway.

 

The black queen approached in an easy, slow and elegant move to the pawn in front of her, in a straight line. It stopped at a step, face to face, the pawn didn't have escape, but the queen didn't eliminate it, not yet, that would be too boring. So close to the end, but this was just beginning.

 

Just a little more time.

 

Siyeon smiled as she turned the doorknob.

 

Things would get funnier from now on, because Siyeon was the director of this show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! I wanted to add more things to this chapter, but it was going to be very long, so... I think there are two more chapters left and that's all.
> 
> I apologize if I did something wrong. I hope you liked it. ^^
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Prelude to Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The king is moving. Well, Siyeon too.

Yoobin came home late at night. She got out of her car, hitting one of the front wheels to vent her anger. It took her a few seconds to control herself. The only good thing was that while her anger attacks were unleashed, she was only hitting inanimate objects... of course, she had hit Yoohyeon that same day, but not with the intention of hurting, but as a kind of violent game to which everyone had become accustomed and which was totally harmless.

 

But she knew that sooner or later she would have to seek professional help to control the anger, because otherwise she might end up hitting a person one day and it wasn't something she wanted to do (well, only when she was angry, but she definitely didn't want to). It was something that had to be taken care of.

 

This time her anger had a reason, with first and last name: Lee Siyeon. Well, she wouldn't lose Handong, she'd come up with something to get her back, but at this point she just wanted to clear up her doubts. Siyeon was up to something, to begin with she took Handong away from her side (okay, it was Yoobin who really did it, but she would never admit it). She couldn't say what it was, but something wasn't right, and she would find out.

 

She stopped grumbling as some flashes of light illuminated her surroundings for a few seconds. Behind a car a few steps away from her, there was a girl with her camera pointing in her direction.

 

The girl jumped into surprise when she saw the drummer approaching her.

 

"How much do they pay you for photos like that, huh?" she asked when she got to her side. "Would you like to have your privacy violated like that?"

 

The girl looked at her with her mouth open, unable to pronounce a word, so she simply shook her head.

 

"I'm going to kindly ask you to erase those photos, because I'm not at my best right now, okay?"

 

She nodded frenetically and began to erase the photos. Yoobin had a habit of breaking cameras.

 

"Are you a photographer?”

 

After a couple of seconds, and several impatient snorts from Yoobin, the girl finally spoke.

 

"Just for a hobby, I-I'm not a professional" she stuttered, staring at her.

 

"What's your name?”

 

"Kim Jiwoo" replied, still a little embarrassed.

 

"All right, Jiwoo. I need you to do something for me. Do you have a pencil and paper?"

 

"Yes! Wait a second" the girl looked in her backpack and took out a piece of paper and a pen and handed them to Yoobin. "Here”.

 

Yoobin wrote down an address and her own phone number.

 

"Do you know this place?”

 

"Oh, that's where-"

 

"I want you to go over there and take pictures of anything you find strange. You'll keep me informed. You'll tell me who she's going out with and you'll follow her too. Can you?"

 

"But that's-"

 

"Will you or won't you? I'll pay you if I have to”.

 

"I..."

 

The girl looked at the paper a couple of times, confused. But, hell, she was Lee Yoobin, a member of Dreamcatcher. How could she say no?

 

"I will”.

 

The drummer sighed and turned around, but Jiwoo ran to her side.

 

"Wait... Can I get an autograph?"

 

Yoobin rolled her eyes as she scribbled her signature on another piece of paper.

 

…

 

As she opened the door, Handong threw herself into her arms. She said nothing, but her body trembled. Siyeon realized that she was trying not to cry as she asked if she could have dinner with her. Siyeon wanted to say no, because having Handong there while Gahyeon was unconscious in her bedroom (and could wake up at any moment) was definitely not a good idea, but she had no heart to ask her to leave.

 

Maybe she had no heart at all, but she was weak at Handong's sensitivity.

 

Or maybe she liked the feeling of having to be alert, the fear of being suddenly discovered. And if that was the case, if Handong discovered the truth, she couldn't let her go. Handong would not come out unscathed. Well, she would suffer anyway... but it was not yet time.

 

Siyeon stroked her back, both hugging on the couch. The pianist talked and talked, but she didn't understand anything. Maybe because of the girl's sobs, maybe because sometimes she spoke so fast that she mixed Chinese and Korean or maybe because she wasn't paying attention. Although she swore to have heard her mention Yoobin a few times and something about returning to China.

 

Yoobin... that possessive, aggressive, selfish girl. She wanted everything. They didn't get along so badly before, but when Siyeon threatened their position, Yoobin didn't hesitate to show the fangs. Yoobin was the king on the other side of the chessboard. And somehow, Siyeon would teach Yoobin not to be so arrogant, would give her a lesson using what she wanted most. She would leave her alone, and that would be her revenge.

 

A lonely king is a dead king.

 

She smiled slightly, stroking Handong's hair.

 

"Do you feel better now?”

 

"Yes... thank you”.

 

"What happened? I heard something about Yoobin”.

 

"Oh, well... yes" she sighed. "She was acting like a jerk and then she wanted to apologize and get everything back to normal, as always, but you know I can't stand relationships like that. If she loves me, she must show that she really does it and not date other girls... especially if they are my friends. I didn't expect it from Chengxiao, I swear..." she paused for air. "I told her. I was tired and I told her, but she didn't defend herself, instead she wanted to blame you, as if you had brainwashed me, because everything was fine before -only for her, of course- and she even asked me what had changed. Logically, I tried to make it clear to her that nothing has changed, and that's precisely why I made this decision. You know, she made a scene of jealousy for you! It's not uncommon for her to complain about you, but today she exaggerated. Can you believe she insinuated that you and I are more than friends?"

 

"And aren't we?”

 

Handong looked at her and Siyeon laughed.

 

"I'm just kidding. You wouldn't handle being my girlfriend”.

 

"Why not?" she asked, then interested.

 

"I'm too much for you”.

 

"What a high self-esteem!" Handong laughed. "Careful, it will hurt when you fall from up there”.

 

"I meant it" she smiled, looking into her eyes. "Maybe you won't believe me, but I can drive any girl crazy”.

 

"Oh, my God. Watch out, girls!" she joked.

 

"Even you”.

 

The pianist looked at her with fun.

 

"I'm serious, huh. No girl could resist. None of them could forget me either. I can make them lose their heads to the point that they would die for me... and they would return from death to be with me”.

 

"Woah, Siyeon! I know it's good to love yourself, but I think you're exaggerating”.

 

"No. I can really make them tremble, make them beg and scream for me to-"

 

"Stop there!" interrupted her, covering her blushing face. "That's enough unwanted information! Thank you, but it wasn't necessary”.

 

"You'll see it someday, I'm not joking this time”.

 

Handong chuckled, hitting the opposite shoulder. Siyeon was telling the truth, it wasn't a joke, but she didn't believe it.

 

The atmosphere became silent and the chinese girl approached Siyeon. This would be particularly strange if Handong and she had not become close, she might even have liked this closeness... yes, she might even have liked her, if Siyeon had not been completely in love with Bora.

 

Would Bora be watching Gahyeon? What if she woke up? Siyeon turned her head to face the hallway as she stroked the elephant necklace around her neck. She was already feeling nervous.

 

"Hey, Siyeon... I'm sorry I came without warning, but you're the only person I could go to. You are the only one who would listen to me without judging, without trying to change my mind. I could go talk to Minji, but you know she would convince me to go back to Yoobin and Yoohyeon would do the same, because she is unable to deny her girlfriend anything. I only have you. No matter if I'm in the band or not, or if I go back to China, we'll still be friends, won't we?"

 

Siyeon nodded, although she didn't really care about any of it. Handong thanked and huddled more against her.

 

"Handong”.

 

"Yes" she replied, her head resting on Siyeon's chest. Her voice was soft and quiet.

 

"Yoobin loves you”.

 

She snorted.

 

"I don't think so”.

 

"Soon you will see, she would do anything for you”.

 

"Are you trying to-?"

 

"No, no" she interrupted, moving a little away from her to see her face. "I'm not saying you have to go back to her, just... you'll realize that she loves you. She loves you, in her own way, but she does. Trust me”.

 

Handong looked at her, frowning, as if trying to find something hidden in the message, but in the end she only sighed.

 

"Are we going to dinner? Do you want me to prepare something?"

 

"No" answered Siyeon, rising from the couch.

 

Handong was about to say something, but Siyeon stepped forward.

 

"Let's go to a Chinese-food restaurant, it will be in your honor" she winked.

 

She would give Handong one last good dinner.

 

The orange-haired girl smiled as she got up.

 

"By the way, did you come in a taxi or...?"

 

"A friend brought me”.

 

"Well, what do you say you wait for me in the car?" She took the keys to the table and gave them to her. "I'll get my wallet, change my clothes, and then I'll join you”.

 

"All right”.

 

Handong left the apartment and Siyeon practically flew to her room. Luckily Gahyeon was still unconscious. She opened her closet, took a cardboard box and started looking inside until she found what she wanted... some ropes. She looked for a chair in the kitchen and returned to the room. Then she carried the girl and seated her in the chair, in the middle of the room. She tied her arms and legs.

 

Gahyeon's head rested on her left shoulder and her hair covered half of her face, she would probably wake up with pain in her neck. Siyeon looked at her, sure that something was missing. So, she went back to her closet and took one of her shirts to get the girl gagged.

 

She smiled at the end and left.

 

"Didn't you say you'd change your clothes?" Handong asked when she got in the car.

 

"Whoops, I guess I forgot" Siyeon laughed, sitting in the co-pilot's seat. "Anyway, it's not necessary. We're going?"

 

Handong didn't find it strange, Siyeon was forgetful. So, she just started and drove to one of her favorite restaurants.

 

When they finished, they went back to the apartment. Siyeon said she would go to the bathroom and emphasized to wait for her there in the living room. Handong heard strange noises coming from Siyeon's room. So, she got up to make sure her friend was fine.

 

"Are you okay?" she asked, knocking on the door.

 

But Siyeon did not answer.

 

Handong opened the door and walked in. She was shocked to see the girl tied up in the middle of the room, looking at her with tears on her frightened face, but before she could move a muscle, the lights turned off.

 

…

 

At dawn, Yoobin received a message from Jiwoo, which she said that Handong had visited Siyeon at night, with photos of the orange-haired girl entering the building next to Siyeon included. The rage was so great that Yoobin ended up breaking the bathroom mirror.

 

…

 

That night, miles away from Yoobin's house, Yoohyeon was walking through the corridors of the agency. The girls had just arrived from an interview (in which Siyeon and Handong were not present), so now they could leave and take the whole weekend off. But when they got in the car, Minji noticed that she had forgotten her eyeglasses. Then Yoohyeon, wanting to take out her inner gentleman, offered to look for her girlfriend's glasses.

 

She entered the rehearsal room, greeting members of another band who were there and apologizing for the interruption. She found the glasses and left the room.

 

She screamed as someone pulled her arm suddenly in the middle of the hallway. She turned to see who that was and was relieved that she was the girl with the wild pink hair.

 

"Yoobin!" she exclaimed, placing a hand on her chest. "You scared me!"

 

Yoobin had a more serious face than usual.

 

"We need to talk”.

 

"About what?" she asked confusedly.

 

"Siyeon”.

 

Yoohyeon smiled as she sighed.

 

"Dude, let it die, okay? It's very evident that Handong is in love with you, Siyeon is not a threat to your relationship".

 

Yoobin snorted.

 

"It's nothing about Handong, so don't mention her" she snarled. “And we don't even have a relationship. Whatever, it's something much more important”.

 

The silver-haired girl was surprised by what she was hearing.

 

"What is it?"

 

Yoobin looked both ways.

 

"No, not here. Let's go to my house”.

 

Her wonderful plans with her girlfriend for tonight would have to wait, because whatever the drummer wanted to tell her seemed to be very serious. As expected, Minji did a mini tantrum when Yoohyeon told her she wouldn't go home with her. She didn't go into details, because even she didn't know what Yoobin wanted to talk about.

 

"If I find out that you are cheating on me with Yoobin, I will kill you”.

 

"Honey! I'd rather die than cheat on you. Also, with Yoobin? That's disgusting!"

 

Minji laughed, briefly kissing her girlfriend's lips.

 

Around them there were many people looking at them and photographing them, murmurs here and there, but the girlfriends ignored all that. They knew that some of those people were outraged; homosexuality in Korea was a very delicate and controversial theme, but they didn't care in the least. First their love, and to hell with the criticisms.

 

"I'll wait for you at home. Don't arrive empty-handed" she whispered on her lips.

 

"Never" said Yoohyeon, giving kisses on the blonde's face. "One of my main priorities is to keep your stomach happy”.

 

"Have I told you that I love you?"

 

Yoohyeon tilted her head.

 

"I think... a million times”.

 

"So few?" Minji pouted, stroking the silver-haired girl's neck. "I'm failing as a girlfriend”.

 

"Only I can judge that. And no. You're the best girlfriend in the universe”.

 

"I love you" she kissed her again. "Add it to the count”.

 

"I don't really count all your _I love you_ , just like I don't count your kisses”.

 

"Maybe you should start to”.

 

"First objective... A thousand kisses?"

 

"Do you want to start now?" the blonde winked.

 

A cough interrupted the moment.

 

"Yes, we all know that you are in love, you can eat each other's mouth later" Yoobin looked at them, arms crossed. "Yoohyeon?"

 

The girlfriends pouted and kissed one last time before leaving.

 

She just wanted to snuggle up with her girlfriend all night, and well, maybe more than that. So, Yoohyeon hoped that conversation with Yoobin would be worth it.

 

…

 

 

"Are you telling me Siyeon bought all those songs?"

 

"Just think about it" Yoobin said. "We're talking about someone who couldn't compose one verse and suddenly created a great masterpiece in one fucking night. Does that make sense?"

 

"Are you sure this has nothing to do with your jealousy?"

 

"Damn it, Yoohyeon!"

 

"All right, all right! Relax" she took a sip from her beer. "If so, can you prove it?"

 

"Not yet, but I'm on it. Besides, I was thinking she might have some mental illness”.

 

Yoohyeon burst out laughing.

 

"Okay, now you are going away”.

 

"A few weeks ago, she wasn't even talking. She wouldn't leave her apartment, I've even seen her talking to herself”.

 

"I also talk to myself sometimes, you should try. It works to relieve stress and emotional burdens”.

 

"Please, stop your bullshit. I'm serious" Yoobin grunted, pushing the other girl. "I know it's like asking a pig to fly, but try to **think** , please”.

 

"You offend me" she put a hand on her chest, but when she saw the drummer's expression, she took it seriously. "Well... I agree that Siyeon is weird, but... exactly where do you want to go with all this?"

 

"I think she's hiding something, and I want it to come out”.

 

Also show Handong that Siyeon wasn't a 'nice girl', and that she was a better choice.

 

"Something like what?"

 

"I don't know yet, but I'll find out”.

 

"Okay, so..." before she could talk, her phone rang.

 

She took the call immediately with a big smile on her lips.

 

_"Princess!"_

 

Yoobin rolled her eyes, lying on the bed.

 

" _When will you come? I miss you" said Minji on the other side of the line._

 

_"Baby, it's only been 15 minutes"._

 

_"And it's been the worst 15 minutes of my life, because you're not here with me!"_

 

Yoohyeon sighed, without wiping the smile from her face.

 

_"I promise I'll be there in an hour”._

 

_"20 minutes”._

 

_"Hmm... 30 minutes”._

 

_"You better!"_

 

_"Kisses and hugs for you”._

 

_"Hurry up so you can give them to me directly”._

 

_"Wait for me, but naked, please”._

 

_"Kim Yoohyeon!"_

 

She laughed, moving away from her cell phone so her girlfriend wouldn't damage her ears.

 

_"I was just kidding!"_

 

_"Remember that I can joke too and I can be very bad to you. Anyway, don't be late”._

 

_"I'll see you in a few minutes”._

 

_"I'll be waiting for you. And don't forget the food”._

 

_"I won't forget it” Yoohyeon laughed._

 

_"You can hang up now”._

 

_"You do it”._

 

_"I don't want to do it, you do it" by the tone of her voice, Yoohyeon could swear that the blonde was pouting._

 

_"You called, you must hang up. It's the rule”._

 

"Just hang up the damn call!" shouted Yoobin, loud enough for Minji to hear.

 

_"All right! I love you, honey”._

 

_"And I love you too, princess”._

 

Yoobin clapped after the silver-haired girl hung up the call. Deep down, Yoobin didn't mind Yoohyeon and Minji being so sweet to each other, she was just jealous, because she would like to be like that. She wanted to be like that with Handong. If only the chinese girl would give her one more chance... she would make an effort.

 

"Well, Yoobin. Tell me, what do you have in mind?"

 

"I need you to help me”.

 

"What do I have to do?"

 

Yoobin wasted no time and began to explain to her what she had to do.

 

"Any doubt?"

 

"No, everything was clear" replied Yoohyeon.

 

"Remember that everything must remain secret”.

 

She nodded and Yoobin smiled, drinking another beer.

 

…

 

Later that night, Siyeon was sitting on the couch, Bora standing in front of her. She had tied Handong in her room, so she had nothing to worry about and at this point she just wanted to have fun.

 

"So... dancer and choreographer, huh?"

 

Bora smiled sideways, like knowing her intentions.

 

"Do you need to confirm that?”

 

"Well, a private show wouldn't be bad at all”.

 

Bora bit her lip, getting into position. Siyeon could swear she heard a soft melody inside her mind as she began to move with mesmerizing sensuality. When she sat on her lap. Siyeon found herself thinking that she would never meet a woman more beautiful than Kim Bora, as her hands ran through her body.

 

In the room, Handong and Gahyeon looked at each other in complete terror as they heard Siyeon's groans and gasps across the door. Handong did not know what to think.

 

Both shuddered when Siyeon entered the room about an hour later, with a bat in her hands.

 

"You are not trying to escape, are you?"

 

The girls started struggling to free themselves knowing what would happen, but they couldn't make it.

 

"This will only hurt a little”.

 

Seconds later, Siyeon was unleashing her anger on the two helpless girls. Handong couldn't believe what was happening, she wanted to believe it was a nightmare, but the pain was too strong to be unreal. Siyeon was beating them mercilessly and she could only think...

 

_Why are you doing this?_

 

…

 

 

The next day, Minji arrived late at the agency because she tried to find the pianist, she had not been able to reach Handong. She was worried, maybe the discussion with Yoobin had affected her more than it seemed. And that would harm the band as well, she as a leader and friend of both had to do something for the two of them to fix their problems.

 

As she thought she met Siyeon in the corridors of the agency, the girl just greeted her with a nod and continued on her way. The blonde was happy to see her and to know that she was taking an interest in rehearsals, it seemed that Siyeon was working on her responsibility too and that was really good.

 

She placed her hand over the ajar door and was about to open it, but stopped when she heard something suspicious inside the room. She looked through the gap and saw Yoohyeon on the phone.

 

_"I got them, Bin! They were in her bag... She just left... Siyeon can't find out that I took them, okay? When you come, I'll give them to you”._

 

Minji frowned.

 

Did her girlfriend steal something from Siyeon? Would she and Yoobin make a bad joke to her? That was definitely not right. She wondered how far Yoobin would go with her attitude.

 

Yoohyeon hung up the call and Minji finally entered the room.

 

"What are you doing, sweetheart?"

 

Yoohyeon was surprised when she saw her and hid what she had taken behind her back. Minji felt a pinch of disappointment, but still approached her and placed her hands on her cheeks. There was nothing she could not forgive her, anyway.

 

"What have you got there?"

 

"What are you talking about, babe?" she pretended.

 

"You know you can't hide anything from me, my love. So tell me”.

 

Yoohyeon sighed. Yoobin was clear when she said that everything should be between them, but her girlfriend had caught her.

 

"Well, maybe and just maybe..."

 

"Honey”.

 

"Well, well... Yoobin asked me to take a copy of the keys to Siyeon's apartment”.

 

Minji sighed.

 

"That's wrong”.

 

"I know..."

 

"What were you two planning to do, huh?"

 

"Nothing! Well, I didn't. She just told me to get the keys and she'll do the rest. She's sure that Siyeon is a fraud”.

 

"Yoobin might be right or might be wrong, but I won't let her continue to create a bad atmosphere for the band and I won't let her involve you in that either. Give me the keys”.

 

"But, baby..."

 

"The keys”.

 

Yoohyeon was unable to disobey her girlfriend. She pouted and handed her the keys.

 

"I love you, but it's not right and you know it. Don't do something like this again, okay?" her girlfriend nodded and she put a little kiss on her nose. "I'll go get something to eat. Wait for me here”.

 

Minji didn't used to lie to Yoohyeon, but this time she did. She would go and give Siyeon her keys back and try to solve this whole mess once and for all. Well, that's all she wanted.

 

However, things didn't really happen that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Sorry I'm late, I've been busy with some things:(
> 
> Maybe it's going too slow (sorry if y'all got bored), but I'm trying my best. From now on I'm not sure what's going to happen, because I decided an ending a long time ago, but I could also make alternative endings, but I'm not sure about that yet. I'll write and see how it turns out.
> 
> I hope you liked it!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Checkmate (Original Ending)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, my dear readers! Finally, I'm here. Well, I want to warn y'all that this is the original ending. I mean, this is what it was meant to happen from the start. You can say it's a bad/sad ending (sorry).
> 
> BUT... If you want a happy ending, or a fairer one, skip this one and go to the next chapter! Or you can read this one, if you prefer, or you can read both. Anyway, it's your decision.
> 
> TW: Character death, suicide.
> 
> If you choose to go ahead, enjoy the reading!

Siyeon finally stopped.

 

"We have rehearsal today" she spoke, playing with the blood-covered bat on her hands. "But don't worry, Dongie. I'll tell the girls you got sick and you're sorry. Oh, also... I'll probably tell Yoobin that I've been taking good care of you" she smiled and then looked at the other girl, who couldn't keep her head up. "What about you, Gahyeon?"

 

Logically, the girl didn't answer. Siyeon approached her to remove some tufts of hair from her face.

 

"You look tired..." she snorted. "Okay. Sleep well, because we have a lot to do when I get back”.

 

Leaving the bat in a corner of the room, she walked away and left them alone. Shortly after, they heard the main door close.

 

…

 

Jiwoo got out of the taxi after paying and just then she saw Lee Siyeon leaving the building, she was in a hurry and Jiwoo could swear she had seen some blood on her hands before she put her hands in her jacket pockets.

 

Before she could take a photograph, something caught her attention. Siyeon had dropped something and it was shining on the floor. Jiwoo approached and looked around, making sure no one was looking at her to avoid misunderstandings, before bending over and picking it up.

 

It was a strangely familiar elephant necklace. She looked upward, but Siyeon was no longer in sight. She shrugged. Jiwoo would spend the entire day there, since she had nothing else to do, so she would return it to her when she came back.

 

When she turned around, she collided head-on with a boy with striking red hair, taller than her. When he lifted his face, she realized the guy was Lee Taemin, a famous figure, and felt her legs shake.

 

"I'm sorry, I was distracted" he said, before Jiwoo could apologize.

 

He bent down and it was at that moment that Jiwoo noticed that the necklace had fallen out of her hands. The boy frowned, examining the necklace in his hands and then looked at her.

 

"Excuse me, is this yours?"

 

"Uh... actually, it's not mine, it belongs to... someone I know" Jiwoo replied, not really knowing what to say.

 

Taemin's face lit up when he heard that.

 

"Do you know Bora? I've been trying to find her for days. Where is she?"

 

Jiwoo frowned, confused, as she shook her head.

 

"The necklace belongs to Lee Siyeon, it fell off a moment ago when..." she suddenly fell silent as she remembered something.

 

Actually, she did know a girl named Bora. And it didn't take long for her to remember why the necklace seemed so familiar.

 

"Did you say _Lee Siyeon_?"

 

Jiwoo looked at him and he looked back at her. Both had the same suspicious and slightly indecisive expression on their faces. Taemin looked at the necklace again.

 

"Would you like some coffee? I think we need to talk”.

 

They walked to the coffee shop, sitting at a table next to the window, which allowed them to look towards the building in which Lee Siyeon and Lee Taemin lived. Jiwoo ordered a latte and a piece of strawberry cake, Taemin decided not to order anything.

 

"You're Bora's friend" Jiwoo cut the silence. "Kim Bora, right?"

 

"That's right" replied Taemin, caressing the silver elephant in his hands. "She was living in my apartment”.

 

"Ah... I see” she said with a touch of sadness.

 

"So, you know her”.

 

"Something like that”.

 

Jiwoo took a laptop out of her bag and placed it on the table.

 

"We met because we have a friend in common" she continued. "However, we weren't... we aren't, I'm sorry, very close. She was also my model for a school project”.

 

Jiwoo looked through the files for the photographs she had taken of Bora and showed them to him, just to make sure they were talking about the same person.

 

Bora smiled in each of the photos, the necklace glowing in her neck. Jiwoo sighed.

 

"I suppose you're aware that she..."

 

"I contacted her family in Changwon, since I couldn't find her" he replied. “Bora didn't want them to know where she was living, so I didn't pay much attention to all those announcements of her disappearance, because I thought... well, that she was just hiding very well from them. But now..." he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "I think that something really must have happened to her, and I just hope she's fine”.

 

She gave him a very understanding gaze.

 

A girl arrived at that moment with Jiwoo's order, left it all on the table and went away. Jiwoo took a sip of her coffee.

 

"And... Were Lee Siyeon and Bora friends too?"

 

He looked up.

 

"Now that you ask... I don't think so. I would have known. Bora is a fan of that band, Dreamcatcher, since before they became so famous, so she wouldn't stop talking about it. But I asked Siyeon if she had seen her and... she knew her name. They should have met while I was out of the country”.

 

Jiwoo nodded, thoughtful.

 

"Then, we agree that it's quite strange that Lee Siyeon has her necklace, aren't we?"

 

Taemin didn't have to say anything.

 

"When was the last time you saw her?" he asked, finally leaving the necklace on the table.

 

"It was one night, in this same coffee shop".

 

"And when was that?"

 

"I don't exactly remember... Oh, wait, wait! It was the same day I took these pictures. We met in the afternoon to take the photographs, but we met here by coincidence, about 3 in the morning... The date must be in the images!"

 

He approached.

 

"Wait" said Taemin, looking away from the screen to check something on his cell phone. "That was the last day we had a chat. Our last conversation”.

 

And indeed, it was the same date.

 

A memory assaulted Jiwoo's mind at the time. Meeting with Bora coincidentally. Drinking coffee with her that night. A simple, vague conversation, because Bora seemed distracted and unwilling to talk. Rain. Bora going away with someone into the darkness.

 

That someone...

 

_Could be Lee Siyeon?_

 

"Are you saying she entered the building with someone?"

 

"Yes... from my table, I saw her talking to someone outside, and then they both walked into the building. I can't tell you who that person was because it was dark".

 

Taemin frowned, staring at a fixed spot on the table.

 

"She was here one night... she met someone outside the coffee shop... she entered the building next to that person... and then no one else saw her anymore... but now Siyeon has her necklace".

 

They both looked at each other and no more words were needed, because they both knew they thought the same thing.

 

"Let's not jump to conclusions" she said. "It could be a coincidence, couldn't it?"

 

"I think we should first talk to the Changwon police and Bora's parents, at least to make our suspicion known, and then with the security of the building, maybe we can get them to let us see the camera footage from that day”.

 

Jiwoo nodded, taking a look out the window. She recognized a blonde girl entering the building, and she asked herself if it was okay to tell Yoobin what was going on.

 

_Yoobin._

 

"There's... there's something else you might need to know, and it's... strange”.

 

Jiwoo decided to tell her what Lee Yoobin had asked her to do (watch Lee Siyeon) and after getting the answer from Taemin, who thought Yoobin would be of great help if she shared the same assumption as the two of them, she sent a message to the drummer to update her on the situation.

 

…

 

_"What?!" yelled Yoobin._

 

_"I'm sorry" said Yoohyeon, through the phone. "She caught me. What did you want me to do? Lie to her?"_

 

_"Of course! It's not a mortal sin. It's just... damn. You're really stupid" she sighed._

 

_"Stop insulting me! Anyway, you know that stealing someone's keys and entering her home without permission is not right. It's illegal!"_

 

_"Do you at least still have the keys or did she force you to return them?"_

 

_"She took them away from me”._

 

She was preparing to insult her again, but then a message came from Jiwoo and that was more important to her than yelling at Yoohyeon.

 

_"Wait a second”._

 

A lot of things passed through Yoobin's mind as she read the message, but strangely everything made sense to her. She started to do the math and wasn't surprised when she realized that this girl mentioned by Jiwoo, Kim Bora, disappeared at the same time that Siyeon started composing, talking and acting doubly strange, when Yoobin was in Brazil with her family.

 

A chill ran down her back.

 

Lee Yoobin was not someone who allowed herself to feel fear, but she did. And the feeling multiplied when she received the other message. She quickly returned to the call.

 

_"Yoohyeon..." her voice trembled. "Minji went to return Siyeon's keys?"_

 

_"No, she said she was going to get food, as usual. She took too long, so I went out to buy some food for myself”._

 

_"Call her and ask her to come back”._

 

_"Uh?"_

 

_"Call her and tell her to come back, now!"_

 

_"What? Why?"_

 

_"Do what I say!"_

 

_"Bin, are you okay?" asked Yoohyeon, worried._

 

_"Listen, Siyeon probably has something to do with the disappearance of a girl and... Okay, I can't talk about this on the phone. Minji is now in her apartment, so you have to-"_

 

_"Is she in Siyeon's apartment? Oh, I'm near there. I'll go pick her up”._

 

_"Yoohyeon, don't go-!"_

 

The call was hung up.

 

"Damn it!"

 

Handong, Minji, Yoohyeon. They could all be in danger.

 

Yoobin took her car keys and ran out of her house, calling Minji's number.

 

**...**

 

The blonde came out of the elevator and walked to a stop in front of Siyeon's apartment door. Her cell phone rang, but she hung up when she saw that was Yoobin and she didn't feel like arguing with her now. She turned off her cell phone, gave four strong knocks and waited. After a few minutes, she knocked again.

 

"Maybe she's not here..." she muttered to herself and knocked one last time.

 

No one opened.

 

She took the keys out of her pocket and played with them for a while as she waited. She was getting tired, she was hungry, and maybe Yoohyeon was waiting for her at the agency. So, she thought it wouldn't hurt to come in and leave the keys on the table, maybe write a note too and then leave.

 

She put the keys in the lock and turned the doorknob. The room was more messy than usual, but Minji paid no attention to it. She walked to the table and placed the keys there. She was turning on her heels when she heard a strange sound coming from the room.

 

…

 

When Handong returned to her senses (she had been too stunned after so many hits to the head), she looked to her left to see how the girl was beside her. Although Siyeon was hitting both of them, that girl was getting the worst part, because Siyeon was even more aggressive with her, as if she wanted to... kill her.

 

She looked so young... her face was covered with blood and bruises, her lips were cracked, her teeth bit the garment in her mouth and several threads of blood fell from her forehead. Handong knew that she was probably in a similar condition herself. She looked away.

 

Handong thought she was about to become crazy, and it was no mean feat. She had been kidnapped by none other than her friend, someone she trusted, someone she really appreciated. Worst of all, she wasn't alone, Gahyeon was also going through the same thing.

 

_Why?_

 

Would they die like that? What did they do to deserve this?

 

_Why?_

 

She was closing her eyes again when she heard the main door open and close. The sound made Gahyeon wake up too. Both were silent, Gahyeon's eyes began to fill with tears as they listened to the steps outside the room.

 

Then, Gahyeon gasped.

 

"Hello?" spoke a voice behind the door.

 

Handong held her breath. Gahyeon didn't recognize the voice and only looked at Handong for an answer, but the chinese girl looked at the door doing nothing. The person behind the door was not their kidnapper, she could be someone who came to rescue them, but Handong was not reacting. Then, Gahyeon tried to make as much noise as possible to get that person's attention. Until her plan worked and the door opened.

 

A blonde girl entered the room and let out a gasp before covering her mouth, eyes wide open. Handong could guess what Minji was thinking, how she was feeling, because she herself had experienced it when she found Gahyeon tied up in the room. At this point, however, Handong only wanted her to turn around and run away, so that she would not be in danger as well.

 

She tried to shout, to tell her to leave, while Gahyeon tried to ask her to save them, but neither could because of the cloth that was covering their mouths. Fortunately, Minji's shock didn't last long and she ran to them.

 

"Minji!" released the orange-haired girl in the middle of a sob, after the blonde had removed the cloth from her mouth. "You have to go! Call the police!”

 

"Who did this to you? Where is Siyeon?" she asked, struggling to untie the knot in Handong's wrists.

 

"She! It was her!"

 

Minji looked at her, incredulous and scared at the same time. And before she could ask any more questions, one hand covered her mouth and pulled her back. She could only see the frightened faces of Handong and the other girl, as she felt a warm breath in her neck and something leaning against her head.

 

No one had to be too smart to know it was a gun. Minji trembled. Her heart beat hard against her chest, as a tear slid down each of her cheeks. Handong stared helplessly, her lower lip trembled and reminded Siyeon of how Bora had reacted.

 

"Welcome, leader" she whispered, looking at the three girls with a smug smile.

 

…

 

Yoohyeon arrived at the building, but a man grabbed her arm before she could get into the elevator. She bowed to greet him when she realized he was a police officer.

 

"Kim Yoohyeon, Dreamcatcher member, right?" he said, letting go of her arm.

 

"Yes... it's me”.

 

"My name is Choi Siwon" he showed the badge on his uniform. "I need to ask you some questions about your co-worker Lee Siyeon".

 

Yoohyeon frowned.

 

"What's this about?"

 

"Did you ever see Lee Siyeon with this girl?" he took a picture of one of his pockets and showed it to her. "Do you know who she is?”

 

She didn't recognize the girl in the picture.

 

"No, I'm sorry”.

 

"Did you ever hear Lee Siyeon mention a girl named Kim Bora?"

 

"No" shook her head. "Officer... What's going on?"

 

The guy wiped a hand through his hair as he took a firmer position.

 

"We are investigating Kim Bora's disappearance" he began to explain. "The case was closed for a short time because there were no witnesses or evidence, but now it has been reopened, Lee Siyeon is the main suspect and we need all the information you can give us”.

 

Yoobin's words echoed in her mind. Her hands began to shudder. She glanced at the elevator, thinking of her girlfriend.

 

"I'm not aware of anything..." she spoke, looking at him as she played with her hands. "But... one of my co-workers, Lee Yoobin, she may know more about it than I do. You should talk to her”.

 

The officer opened his mouth, but a scream stole both their attention. A girl ran in their direction, a camera hanging from their neck, and beside her a guy with red hair, whom Yoohyeon recognized as Lee Taemin, a famous choreographer.

 

"Officer Choi" said the red-haired boy. "You have to check the building's security cameras, they were together in the elevator..."

 

Yoohyeon couldn't follow the thread of the conversation, because her mind was 100% busy thinking about her girlfriend and what might be going on. Taking advantage of the officer's distraction, she snuck up to the elevator quickly, pressing the button of the fourth floor.

 

She was biting her nails as the elevator moved. There was so much on her mind, so much information that couldn't be processed properly. Her hands were sweating. She felt the walls of the elevator closing, but it was only her imagination, her worry, her nerves.

 

When the doors opened, she ran through the hallway. She swallowed when she found the door wide open and walked in without thinking twice. She got stunned.

 

"M-Minji... Dong..."

 

The scene left her speechless.

 

“You...”

 

Siyeon was in the middle of Minji and Handong, a gun leaning on the blonde's temple and a knife in the pianist's neck, while at Siyeon's feet, there was another girl kneeling. Handong and that girl were covered in bruises and blood. Yoohyeon didn't know what to say, or maybe she couldn't say anything.

 

Siyeon burst out laughing, as if the scene was the funniest thing she had ever seen. In fact, it was. Siyeon had never had so much fun.

 

"I'll make this more simple for you" she said, bringing the girls closer to her sides. "I'll explain it to you slowly, because you're not very smart”.

 

Minji, Handong and Gahyeon could only cry. Yoohyeon was still speechless.

 

"I'll give you a chance to save one of them" she continued, without wiping the sinister smile from her face. "You deserve it for never getting in my way, now all you have to do is decide. Although... I already know what your answer will be. You have 10 seconds to choose, and if you don't... I will kill them both”.

 

Yoohyeon fell to her knees, felt like she couldn't breathe. She looked at Minji, oh, her beloved Minji, she was a nervous mess. Handong seemed equally frightened, but her signs were clear.

 

Handong was sacrificing herself for them.

 

"You have 3 seconds, Kim Yoohyeon”.

 

She tried to speak, but her words got stuck in her throat. She looked at the girl on the floor, at Minji, then at Handong, then at Minji and Handong again. The orange-haired girl shook her head slightly while her lips drew a ‘leave me’.

 

"Time's up”.

 

"Wait, please!" shouted Yoohyeon, before Siyeon could pull the trigger or tear the chinese girl's throat.

 

"Well?" Siyeon grunted. "Who did you choose?"

 

"Minji, Minji!" she cried, lowering her head. "I choose Minji!"

 

The blonde released a little scream as Siyeon threw her to the floor, and she dragged herself into her girlfriend's arms. Siyeon looked at them from above, while the girlfriends cried embraced, and then she snorted.

 

"That's proof of love" she said, pointing the gun at Gahyeon. "Get up".

 

The girl got up as she could. Her hands were still tied, just like Handong's (or so it seemed).

 

"Come on, girls. The game isn't over”.

 

Minji only stared, trembling, as Siyeon left with the other girls. Yoohyeon cried in her arms, repeating her girlfriend's name over and over again. Even though she was frightened, she tried to calm her girlfriend.

 

"Honey..." she whispered, caressing her silver tufts. "I'm fine, we're fine”.

 

"Minji" Yoohyeon clung to her tighter.

 

"I'm here, babe. You saved me”.

 

"Siyeon is a monster, Minji. Oh, God... Handong... God, no... Siyeon is a monster!"

 

Minji bit her own lip, hugging her girlfriend more tightly. Her head would explode at any moment.

 

"Where is she?!"

 

Both looked up, finding Yoobin standing at the door. The drummer looked at them for a few seconds, to make sure they weren't hurt, and ran inside. She entered the bedroom and left seconds later.

 

"Handong! Where are you?"

 

She walked into the kitchen.

 

"Handong!"

 

Yoobin must have been as worried as she was about Minji. Now Handong was in Siyeon's hands, she could even be dead now. Yoohyeon felt her heart break.

 

Yoobin approached them.

 

"Where is she?"

 

The girlfriends looked at each other.

 

"She..." said Yoohyeon, getting up. Minji copied her actions. "Siyeon... she..."

 

"You let her go!" she pushed her. "You let her take Handong with her!"

 

Her cheeks were blushing red, her eyes wet and furious.

 

"Binnie..."

 

"How could you let her escape?!"

 

"Siyeon threatened me... she said she would kill them both... she said I had to choose... she..." Yoohyeon explained between sobs, as Minji stroked her back.

 

"Yoobin..." whispered the leader, trying to ignore the sense of blame in the middle of her chest. "This is no time to look for guilty”.

 

"You didn't think of Handong, you only thought of yourself!" shouted the drummer, ignoring the blonde.

 

"I had no choice, it was her or Minji!" Yoohyeon shouted back. "What would you have done?!"

 

Yoobin was silent, and neither of the two girlfriends expected the impact. Before they knew it, Yoohyeon was back on the floor, with a thread of blood sliding down the left corner of her lower lip.

 

"Yoobin!" replied Minji, crouching beside her girlfriend.

 

Yoobin approached the door, hands made fists.

 

"You're right... I would have done the same as you" she muttered, turning her back on them. "We are even”.

 

Yoohyeon blinked, wiping the blood in her mouth.

 

When the drummer left, it seemed that the temperature in the room had decreased. The girlfriends hugged each other on the floor. Several police officers then entered and began to inspect the apartment, while Yoohyeon cried in her girlfriend's arms and Minji whispered in her ear that nothing was her fault and that everything would be all right.

 

But would everything really be all right?

 

…

 

She dropped the two girls to their knees, approaching the edge. It was her first time on the rooftop of the building, and the view was magnificent. Siyeon smiled as she heard the bunch of sirens, red and blue lights shone down there and raindrops began to fall from the sky.

 

"The end is close!" she laughed, extending her arms.

 

"Closer than you think”.

 

Siyeon turned and smiled.

 

"Oh, there you are. You're late”.

 

Handong and Gahyeon only saw Siyeon talking to herself. She was completely insane.

 

"I'm glad to see you have everything under control" said Bora, placing one hand on Siyeon's shoulder. "You don't need me anymore”.

 

She stopped smiling.

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

"Why have you been fooling yourself all this time? You killed me, I'm not real. Remember that”.

 

Siyeon looked at her and tried to take her hand, but Bora walked away.

 

"You were just looking for an excuse, an impulse to help you get the necessary courage... You fell in love with me, but you know we can't be together”.

 

She was right. Bora was dead. They could never date together. She could never feel the warmth of her skin again. She could never wake up next to her.

 

She looked for the necklace on her neck, but didn't find it. She was losing her, she was really losing her, and forever.

 

"No... That's not true”.

 

She could never kiss her. She couldn't be happy with her. She couldn't show the world how special they were.

 

Never. Because she was dead.

 

"I told you that you would repent" was the last thing she heard.

 

Bora smiled before vanishing into thin air.

 

"No!" she shouted to the sky. "You can't go away from me, Kim Bora!"

 

“Lee Siyeon!”

 

She turned to see the person who had just broken into the place. The girl with pink hair took long steps, approaching. Siyeon pointed her gun at her, but Yoobin didn't stop.

 

The rain increased in intensity.

 

"Do you think I'm afraid of that gun?"

 

"Stop or she will suffer the consequences" she threatened, now pointing to the orange-haired girl, who hugged Gahyeon on the floor.

 

That worked, because Yoobin stopped.

 

Siyeon tried to think, she really tried, but her sanity disappeared with Bora. Now she didn't have a plan, she didn't even need one, just impulses and desires to cause pain and show who had the power at the time. Her mind concentrated on the cry of Handong and Gahyeon, on the rain falling over them and on the gun in her hands.

 

She wanted to hurt.

 

She wanted everyone to suffer.

 

But mostly... she wanted Bora to come back.

 

And her blood boiled with rage because she knew she couldn't bring her back. Bora had abandoned her, and they were to blame. Handong was to blame. Bora had left her alone because of jealousy.

 

Maybe Yoobin was to blame... if she had treated her well in her childhood, she would not have killed Bora.

 

Yes, that's what happened.

 

Or maybe... Siyeon was to blame.

 

"Shut up!" she shouted, banging her head with the gun to stop thinking. "You're all to blame!"

 

Yoobin, Handong and Gahyeon watched the scene without surprise, but trembling with nerves. Siyeon had definitely serious problems.

 

"You..." she pointed to Handong.

 

The chinese girl crawled away backwards. Yoobin held her breath.

 

"Your kindness... your good feelings... your sensitivity..." she grunted. "You were never going to break up with Yoobin, you did it only because I convinced you that it was the right thing to do. You’re weak”.

 

Handong blinked, squeezing Gahyeon to her chest.

 

"And you..." she looked at the younger girl. "Your tenderness... that angel smile... You're so naive!"

 

Yoobin took a slow step, but Siyeon noticed that and aimed at her.

 

"Don't move”.

 

"I told you I'm not afraid of guns" she said, raising her hands. "We can talk about it. Stop this madness”.

 

"Are you trying to negotiate? That's new" laughed Siyeon. "I don't want to talk to you, I want you to suffer”.

 

They were all soaking wet.

 

"Good. So, come get me and let them go”.

 

"Don't you dare give me orders. I'm in control here”.

 

Willing to prove it once more, she took Handong by the arm, Gahyeon tried to stop her, but Siyeon hit her with the gun. Yoobin clenched her fists. Her stomach twisted with fear, nerves, and anger.

 

"Is that all you have?"

 

Siyeon didn't expect that answer.

 

"Aren't you afraid?" she grunted, confused. "Don't you care if Handong dies right now?"

 

The orange-haired girl closed her eyes and lowered her head. She felt so stupid. How could she trust Siyeon so much? How could she not realize that something terrible was going to happen?

 

"This is about the two of us" Yoobin said, approaching three steps. "Do you want to fight? We can fight”.

 

Siyeon snorted, incredulous.

 

"What are you-?"

 

"You seem to think you know everything about everybody, don't you?" she continued. "Let me tell you something about yourself... you're a coward”.

 

Siyeon clenched her teeth.

 

"You're sick, alone and crazy”.

 

"Shut your mouth" she shouted, placing the tip of the gun in Handong's jaw. "I'm going to kill her! Do you hear me?"

 

"You're so cowardly that you can't face me without a gun in your hand" Yoobin took another step. "You don't know how to hurt me, so you threaten me with hurting Handong, because you know that I am stronger than you, more skillful than you. And unlike you, I've always had someone who loves me".

 

"I said... shut up”.

 

"You envy me" Yoobin smiled as she saw that her plan was working.

 

Siyeon pushed Handong to the floor and walked with long steps toward Yoobin as Handong crawled toward Gahyeon. Face to face. The tip of the gun pressed against the drummer's chest.

 

"This didn't have to end like this... sister".

 

Handong looked at both of them, unable to believe what she heard. Siyeon didn't want this. She didn't want to face what she had been denying herself and everyone for so long.

 

"Don't call me like that again" Siyeon grunted, tears streaming down her face. "It's disgusting to share the same blood as you”.

 

Yoobin seized the opportunity and hit Siyeon's arm. The gun fell several meters from them. And there the fight began. Blows, bites, scratches, insults. Yoobin ended up over Siyeon, her hands around her neck, squeezing her throat.

 

"Was it necessary to go that far?"

 

Siyeon grunted, trying to move her hands away while memories flooded her mind.

 

Yoobin had always been her parents' favorite, the one who got the best gifts, the one who partyed with pretty girls every weekend, the one who got the best grades at school. Yoobin was mommy and daddy's special girl. And Siyeon was just the family's black sheep.

 

"You've earned enough all your life, little sister”.

 

Yoobin frowned at her laughing.

 

"Now it's my turn”.

 

Handong screamed when Siyeon pulled a knife out of one of her shoes and stabbed Yoobin in the abdomen with the sharp object, the girl with pink hair fell to the side, holding her wound, and Siyeon got up.

 

"It's been fun. But I told you why you're here, to suffer".

 

Siyeon approached her two victims, grabbed Handong by the hair and walked to the edge of the building. Yoobin began to crawl, leaving a trail of blood as she coughed. Gahyeon ran to the exit.

 

"Siyeon... please..."

 

"I have to admit it's very satisfying to hear you beg, but that won't do any good”.

 

With the tip of the knife bathed in blood, she stroked the cheeks of Handong, who was crying in her arms. That also reminded her of Bora. Her heart hurt.

 

"Do you remember what I said, Dong? Yoobin loves you and would do anything for you" she laughed unwillingly.

 

"Siyeon..." coughed, trying to get up. "Kill me, leave her alone... This is between you and I... The problem is me, not her!"

 

"You've taken everything from me" Siyeon replied, looking at her with teasing. "It's all fair that I take from you what matters most to you, don't you think?"

 

Yoobin opened her eyes in horror. Her eyes met Handong's, she could read a 'I love you' from her lips.

 

"Please..."

 

"Checkmate" whispered Siyeon.

 

It all happened so fast. Thunder roared in the sky, a knife slipped, and Yoobin closed her eyes so as not to have to see it. So she wouldn't have to accept it. She prayed. She wished it was all part of a nightmare. A thud, and when she opened her eyes... Siyeon and Handong were out of sight.

 

With a final effort she crawled to the edge and looked down. The bodies of her older sister and the love of her life, both thrown there down, a pool of blood all around her. Hundreds of people taking photographs and police officers trying to keep people away.

 

She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, but none of that would make her pain go away. It was all her fault from the beginning. She managed to stand up, she could endure the pain in her abdomen, because it was nothing compared to the pain in her soul. She looked to the side... the gun was ridiculously close to her. She took it and sighed.

 

"And that's how all ends, huh... You won this time, Lee Siyeon. You killed me”.

 

…

 

Several police officers finally reached the rooftop. Yoohyeon and Minji were after them, already knowing what had happened to Siyeon and Handong, and only wishing Yoobin was fine.

 

Another roar from the sky, which slightly muffled the roar caused by the gunshot. It was too late.

 

The scene spoke for itself. Yoobin in the middle of a pool of blood, with a wound in the abdomen and a bullet hole in the head. The gun in her right hand. Her eyes were still open.

 

Yoohyeon and Minji ran toward her, even though two officers tried to stop them. They knelt beside her, cried, shouted, but Yoobin was already gone.

 

_Just like Bora._

 

The red-haired boy embraced a frightened and traumatized Gahyeon. Jiwoo was standing next to him, trying to calm her, although both were equally affected by the situation. Now the elephant necklace was in Taemin's neck.

 

_Just like Handong._

 

There were so many people surrounding the scene that officers had to call for reinforcements to keep people away. Gahyeon moved slightly away from Taemin's body so that she could see. Handong's body lying next to her kidnapper's, the rain dragging her blood on the asphalt, to say she felt her heart break would be a euphemism. The short time they spent together, Handong had tried to protect her.

 

"Thank you... and I'm so sorry..." murmured the girl in the wind, clutching again at the red-haired boy.

 

_Just like Siyeon._

 

Minji moved away from the inert body of the drummer. Yoohyeon refused to leave, although an officer was ordering her to get up. The blonde walked to the edge and looked down. Her expression wrinkled in a grimace of pain, anger, guilt and disappointment, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

 

"Wherever you are, I hope you pay for everything you’ve done”.

 

She walked away, wishing with all her soul that Lee Siyeon would burn in the flames of hell, or somewhere where she deserved to be, where she suffered. Because that was the truth... no one would miss her. Everyone wanted her to receive a punishment big enough and painful enough to compensate for her losses.

 

Minji dropped herself with her girlfriend and hugged her in fear of losing her too if she left her alone. If only she had realized it sooner.

 

So much pain... so much damage caused by a simple weak-minded girl, who had played with the lives of the people around her at her whim, who destroyed families for an absurd reason or perhaps for no reason at all.

 

Unfortunately, she succeeded. She achieved her goals on the higher plane of her madness. She managed to hurt all the girls who had what she didn't have and what she wanted to have; beauty, kindness, tenderness, success, love and justice. She got revenge on her sister, and had also dragged all those close to them.

 

The white king, the white queen, the black queen and the black king fell. The chessboard burned in flames and all its pieces next to it. The game ended and there was only one winner...

 

**Death** , brought by a weak, corrupt and evil mind.

 

**THE END.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all, guys! Yeah, what a surprise that Yoobin and Siyeon were actually sisters, who were denying the family bonds they shared and had a past full of envy, and parental preferences (according to Siyeon). And in case you're wondering, yes, Siyeon did have a disorder... some kind of schizophrenia, you can say.
> 
> I don't want to get too emotional, but I'm really grateful for your support, for having been with me throughout this story (which I really enjoyed writing) and for having gone all the way. Thank you so much for reading, leaving kudos and commenting. I love you all.
> 
> I'm sorry if I let someone down and if I did something wrong. Also I apologize for the tragic ending, but sometimes life is unfair, you know.
> 
> Nothing more to say, besides thank you again... See you soon!


	7. Checkmate ("Happy" Ending)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! If you're here it's because you decided to read the happy ending of this story, whether you skipped the previous one (which is largely equal to this one, but it changes right in the end) or just got curious about this one. In any case, I hope you enjoy the reading.
> 
> I'll let you read now, but let's be honest, dear readers... Do you really think all this could have a happy ending?
> 
> TW: Character death.

Siyeon finally stopped.

 

"We have rehearsal today" she spoke, playing with the blood-covered bat on her hands. "But don't worry, Dongie. I'll tell the girls you got sick and you're sorry. Oh, also... I'll probably tell Yoobin that I've been taking good care of you" she smiled and then looked at the other girl, who couldn't keep her head up. "What about you, Gahyeon?"

 

Logically, the girl didn't answer. Siyeon approached her to remove some tufts of hair from her face.

 

"You look tired..." she snorted. "Okay. Sleep well, because we have a lot to do when I get back”.

 

Leaving the bat in a corner of the room, she walked away and left them alone. Shortly after, they heard the main door close.

 

…

 

Jiwoo got out of the taxi after paying and just then she saw Lee Siyeon leaving the building, she was in a hurry and Jiwoo could swear she had seen some blood on her hands before she put her hands in her jacket pockets.

 

Before she could take a photograph, something caught her attention. Siyeon had dropped something and it was shining on the floor. Jiwoo approached and looked around, making sure no one was looking at her to avoid misunderstandings, before bending over and picking it up.

 

It was a strangely familiar elephant necklace. She looked upward, but Siyeon was no longer in sight. She shrugged. Jiwoo would spend the entire day there, since she had nothing else to do, so she would return it to her when she came back.

 

When she turned around, she collided head-on with a boy with striking red hair, taller than her. When he lifted his face, she realized the guy was Lee Taemin, a famous figure, and felt her legs shake.

 

"I'm sorry, I was distracted" he said, before Jiwoo could apologize.

 

He bent down and it was at that moment that Jiwoo noticed that the necklace had fallen out of her hands. The boy frowned, examining the necklace in his hands and then looked at her.

 

"Excuse me, is this yours?"

 

"Uh... actually, it's not mine, it belongs to... someone I know" Jiwoo replied, not really knowing what to say.

 

Taemin's face lit up when he heard that.

 

"Do you know Bora? I've been trying to find her for days. Where is she?"

 

Jiwoo frowned, confused, as she shook her head.

 

"The necklace belongs to Lee Siyeon, it fell off a moment ago when..." she suddenly fell silent as she remembered something.

 

Actually, she did know a girl named Bora. And it didn't take long for her to remember why the necklace seemed so familiar.

 

"Did you say _Lee Siyeon_?"

 

Jiwoo looked at him and he looked back at her. Both had the same suspicious and slightly indecisive expression on their faces. Taemin looked at the necklace again.

 

"Would you like some coffee? I think we need to talk”.

 

They walked to the coffee shop, sitting at a table next to the window, which allowed them to look towards the building in which Lee Siyeon and Lee Taemin lived. Jiwoo ordered a latte and a piece of strawberry cake, Taemin decided not to order anything.

 

"You're Bora's friend" Jiwoo cut the silence. "Kim Bora, right?"

 

"That's right" replied Taemin, caressing the silver elephant in his hands. "She was living in my apartment”.

 

"Ah... I see” she said with a touch of sadness.

 

"So, you know her”.

 

"Something like that”.

 

Jiwoo took a laptop out of her bag and placed it on the table.

 

"We met because we have a friend in common" she continued. "However, we weren't... we aren't, I'm sorry, very close. She was also my model for a school project”.

 

Jiwoo looked through the files for the photographs she had taken of Bora and showed them to him, just to make sure they were talking about the same person.

 

Bora smiled in each of the photos, the necklace glowing in her neck. Jiwoo sighed.

 

"I suppose you're aware that she..."

 

"I contacted her family in Changwon, since I couldn't find her" he replied. “Bora didn't want them to know where she was living, so I didn't pay much attention to all those announcements of her disappearance, because I thought... well, that she was just hiding very well from them. But now..." he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "I think that something really must have happened to her, and I just hope she's fine”.

 

She gave him a very understanding gaze.

 

A girl arrived at that moment with Jiwoo's order, left it all on the table and went away. Jiwoo took a sip of her coffee.

 

"And... Were Lee Siyeon and Bora friends too?"

 

He looked up.

 

"Now that you ask... I don't think so. I would have known. Bora is a fan of that band, Dreamcatcher, since before they became so famous, so she wouldn't stop talking about it. But I asked Siyeon if she had seen her and... she knew her name. They should have met while I was out of the country”.

 

Jiwoo nodded, thoughtful.

 

"Then, we agree that it's quite strange that Lee Siyeon has her necklace, aren't we?"

 

Taemin didn't have to say anything.

 

"When was the last time you saw her?" he asked, finally leaving the necklace on the table.

 

"It was one night, in this same coffee shop".

 

"And when was that?"

 

"I don't exactly remember... Oh, wait, wait! It was the same day I took these pictures. We met in the afternoon to take the photographs, but we met here by coincidence, about 3 in the morning... The date must be in the images!"

 

He approached.

 

"Wait" said Taemin, looking away from the screen to check something on his cell phone. "That was the last day we had a chat. Our last conversation”.

 

And indeed, it was the same date.

 

A memory assaulted Jiwoo's mind at the time. Meeting with Bora coincidentally. Drinking coffee with her that night. A simple, vague conversation, because Bora seemed distracted and unwilling to talk. Rain. Bora going away with someone into the darkness.

 

That someone...

 

_Could be Lee Siyeon?_

 

"Are you saying she entered the building with someone?"

 

"Yes... from my table, I saw her talking to someone outside, and then they both walked into the building. I can't tell you who that person was because it was dark".

 

Taemin frowned, staring at a fixed spot on the table.

 

"She was here one night... she met someone outside the coffee shop... she entered the building next to that person... and then no one else saw her anymore... but now Siyeon has her necklace".

 

They both looked at each other and no more words were needed, because they both knew they thought the same thing.

 

"Let's not jump to conclusions" she said. "It could be a coincidence, couldn't it?"

 

"I think we should first talk to the Changwon police and Bora's parents, at least to make our suspicion known, and then with the security of the building, maybe we can get them to let us see the camera footage from that day”.

 

Jiwoo nodded, taking a look out the window. She recognized a blonde girl entering the building, and she asked herself if it was okay to tell Yoobin what was going on.

 

_Yoobin._

 

"There's... there's something else you might need to know, and it's... strange”.

 

Jiwoo decided to tell her what Lee Yoobin had asked her to do (watch Lee Siyeon) and after getting the answer from Taemin, who thought Yoobin would be of great help if she shared the same assumption as the two of them, she sent a message to the drummer to update her on the situation.

 

…

 

_"What?!" yelled Yoobin._

 

_"I'm sorry" said Yoohyeon, through the phone. "She caught me. What did you want me to do? Lie to her?"_

 

_"Of course! It's not a mortal sin. It's just... damn. You're really stupid" she sighed._

 

_"Stop insulting me! Anyway, you know that stealing someone's keys and entering her home without permission is not right. It's illegal!"_

 

_"Do you at least still have the keys or did she force you to return them?"_

 

_"She took them away from me”._

 

She was preparing to insult her again, but then a message came from Jiwoo and that was more important to her than yelling at Yoohyeon.

 

_"Wait a second”._

 

A lot of things passed through Yoobin's mind as she read the message, but strangely everything made sense to her. She started to do the math and wasn't surprised when she realized that this girl mentioned by Jiwoo, Kim Bora, disappeared at the same time that Siyeon started composing, talking and acting doubly strange, when Yoobin was in Brazil with her family.

 

A chill ran down her back.

 

Lee Yoobin was not someone who allowed herself to feel fear, but she did. And the feeling multiplied when she received the other message. She quickly returned to the call.

 

_"Yoohyeon..." her voice trembled. "Minji went to return Siyeon's keys?"_

 

_"No, she said she was going to get food, as usual. She took too long, so I went out to buy some food for myself”._

 

_"Call her and ask her to come back”._

 

_"Uh?"_

 

_"Call her and tell her to come back, now!"_

 

_"What? Why?"_

 

_"Do what I say!"_

 

_"Bin, are you okay?" asked Yoohyeon, worried._

 

_"Listen, Siyeon probably has something to do with the disappearance of a girl and... Okay, I can't talk about this on the phone. Minji is now in her apartment, so you have to-"_

 

_"Is she in Siyeon's apartment? Oh, I'm near there. I'll go pick her up”._

 

_"Yoohyeon, don't go-!"_

 

The call was hung up.

 

"Damn it!"

 

Handong, Minji, Yoohyeon. They could all be in danger.

 

Yoobin took her car keys and ran out of her house, calling Minji's number.

 

**...**

 

The blonde came out of the elevator and walked to a stop in front of Siyeon's apartment door. Her cell phone rang, but she hung up when she saw that was Yoobin and she didn't feel like arguing with her now. She turned off her cell phone, gave four strong knocks and waited. After a few minutes, she knocked again.

 

"Maybe she's not here..." she muttered to herself and knocked one last time.

 

No one opened.

 

She took the keys out of her pocket and played with them for a while as she waited. She was getting tired, she was hungry, and maybe Yoohyeon was waiting for her at the agency. So, she thought it wouldn't hurt to come in and leave the keys on the table, maybe write a note too and then leave.

 

She put the keys in the lock and turned the doorknob. The room was more messy than usual, but Minji paid no attention to it. She walked to the table and placed the keys there. She was turning on her heels when she heard a strange sound coming from the room.

 

…

 

When Handong returned to her senses (she had been too stunned after so many hits to the head), she looked to her left to see how the girl was beside her. Although Siyeon was hitting both of them, that girl was getting the worst part, because Siyeon was even more aggressive with her, as if she wanted to... kill her.

 

She looked so young... her face was covered with blood and bruises, her lips were cracked, her teeth bit the garment in her mouth and several threads of blood fell from her forehead. Handong knew that she was probably in a similar condition herself. She looked away.

 

Handong thought she was about to become crazy, and it was no mean feat. She had been kidnapped by none other than her friend, someone she trusted, someone she really appreciated. Worst of all, she wasn't alone, Gahyeon was also going through the same thing.

 

_Why?_

 

Would they die like that? What did they do to deserve this?

 

_Why?_

 

She was closing her eyes again when she heard the main door open and close. The sound made Gahyeon wake up too. Both were silent, Gahyeon's eyes began to fill with tears as they listened to the steps outside the room.

 

Then, Gahyeon gasped.

 

"Hello?" spoke a voice behind the door.

 

Handong held her breath. Gahyeon didn't recognize the voice and only looked at Handong for an answer, but the chinese girl looked at the door doing nothing. The person behind the door was not their kidnapper, she could be someone who came to rescue them, but Handong was not reacting. Then, Gahyeon tried to make as much noise as possible to get that person's attention. Until her plan worked and the door opened.

 

A blonde girl entered the room and let out a gasp before covering her mouth, eyes wide open. Handong could guess what Minji was thinking, how she was feeling, because she herself had experienced it when she found Gahyeon tied up in the room. At this point, however, Handong only wanted her to turn around and run away, so that she would not be in danger as well.

 

She tried to shout, to tell her to leave, while Gahyeon tried to ask her to save them, but neither could because of the cloth that was covering their mouths. Fortunately, Minji's shock didn't last long and she ran to them.

 

"Minji!" released the orange-haired girl in the middle of a sob, after the blonde had removed the cloth from her mouth. "You have to go! Call the police!”

 

"Who did this to you? Where is Siyeon?" she asked, struggling to untie the knot in Handong's wrists.

 

"She! It was her!"

 

Minji looked at her, incredulous and scared at the same time. And before she could ask any more questions, one hand covered her mouth and pulled her back. She could only see the frightened faces of Handong and the other girl, as she felt a warm breath in her neck and something leaning against her head.

 

No one had to be too smart to know it was a gun. Minji trembled. Her heart beat hard against her chest, as a tear slid down each of her cheeks. Handong stared helplessly, her lower lip trembled and reminded Siyeon of how Bora had reacted.

 

"Welcome, leader" she whispered, looking at the three girls with a smug smile.

 

…

 

Yoohyeon arrived at the building, but a man grabbed her arm before she could get into the elevator. She bowed to greet him when she realized he was a police officer.

 

"Kim Yoohyeon, Dreamcatcher member, right?" he said, letting go of her arm.

 

"Yes... it's me”.

 

"My name is Choi Siwon" he showed the badge on his uniform. "I need to ask you some questions about your co-worker Lee Siyeon".

 

Yoohyeon frowned.

 

"What's this about?"

 

"Did you ever see Lee Siyeon with this girl?" he took a picture of one of his pockets and showed it to her. "Do you know who she is?”

 

She didn't recognize the girl in the picture.

 

"No, I'm sorry”.

 

"Did you ever hear Lee Siyeon mention a girl named Kim Bora?"

 

"No" shook her head. "Officer... What's going on?"

 

The guy wiped a hand through his hair as he took a firmer position.

 

"We are investigating Kim Bora's disappearance" he began to explain. "The case was closed for a short time because there were no witnesses or evidence, but now it has been reopened, Lee Siyeon is the main suspect and we need all the information you can give us”.

 

Yoobin's words echoed in her mind. Her hands began to shudder. She glanced at the elevator, thinking of her girlfriend.

 

"I'm not aware of anything..." she spoke, looking at him as she played with her hands. "But... one of my co-workers, Lee Yoobin, she may know more about it than I do. You should talk to her”.

 

The officer opened his mouth, but a scream stole both their attention. A girl ran in their direction, a camera hanging from their neck, and beside her a guy with red hair, whom Yoohyeon recognized as Lee Taemin, a famous choreographer.

 

"Officer Choi" said the red-haired boy. "You have to check the building's security cameras, they were together in the elevator..."

 

Yoohyeon couldn't follow the thread of the conversation, because her mind was 100% busy thinking about her girlfriend and what might be going on. Taking advantage of the officer's distraction, she snuck up to the elevator quickly, pressing the button of the fourth floor.

 

She was biting her nails as the elevator moved. There was so much on her mind, so much information that couldn't be processed properly. Her hands were sweating. She felt the walls of the elevator closing, but it was only her imagination, her worry, her nerves.

 

When the doors opened, she ran through the hallway. She swallowed when she found the door wide open and walked in without thinking twice. She got stunned.

 

"M-Minji... Dong..."

 

The scene left her speechless.

 

“You...”

 

Siyeon was in the middle of Minji and Handong, a gun leaning on the blonde's temple and a knife in the pianist's neck, while at Siyeon's feet, there was another girl kneeling. Handong and that girl were covered in bruises and blood. Yoohyeon didn't know what to say, or maybe she couldn't say anything.

 

Siyeon burst out laughing, as if the scene was the funniest thing she had ever seen. In fact, it was. Siyeon had never had so much fun.

 

"I'll make this more simple for you" she said, bringing the girls closer to her sides. "I'll explain it to you slowly, because you're not very smart”.

 

Minji, Handong and Gahyeon could only cry. Yoohyeon was still speechless.

 

"I'll give you a chance to save one of them" she continued, without wiping the sinister smile from her face. "You deserve it for never getting in my way, now all you have to do is decide. Although... I already know what your answer will be. You have 10 seconds to choose, and if you don't... I will kill them both”.

 

Yoohyeon fell to her knees, felt like she couldn't breathe. She looked at Minji, oh, her beloved Minji, she was a nervous mess. Handong seemed equally frightened, but her signs were clear.

 

Handong was sacrificing herself for them.

 

"You have 3 seconds, Kim Yoohyeon”.

 

She tried to speak, but her words got stuck in her throat. She looked at the girl on the floor, at Minji, then at Handong, then at Minji and Handong again. The orange-haired girl shook her head slightly while her lips drew a ‘leave me’.

 

"Time's up”.

 

"Wait, please!" shouted Yoohyeon, before Siyeon could pull the trigger or tear the chinese girl's throat.

 

"Well?" Siyeon grunted. "Who did you choose?"

 

"Minji, Minji!" she cried, lowering her head. "I choose Minji!"

 

The blonde released a little scream as Siyeon threw her to the floor, and she dragged herself into her girlfriend's arms. Siyeon looked at them from above, while the girlfriends cried embraced, and then she snorted.

 

"That's proof of love" she said, pointing the gun at Gahyeon. "Get up".

 

The girl got up as she could. Her hands were still tied, just like Handong's (or so it seemed).

 

"Come on, girls. The game isn't over”.

 

Minji only stared, trembling, as Siyeon left with the other girls. Yoohyeon cried in her arms, repeating her girlfriend's name over and over again. Even though she was frightened, she tried to calm her girlfriend.

 

"Honey..." she whispered, caressing her silver tufts. "I'm fine, we're fine”.

 

"Minji" Yoohyeon clung to her tighter.

 

"I'm here, babe. You saved me”.

 

"Siyeon is a monster, Minji. Oh, God... Handong... God, no... Siyeon is a monster!"

 

Minji bit her own lip, hugging her girlfriend more tightly. Her head would explode at any moment.

 

"Where is she?!"

 

Both looked up, finding Yoobin standing at the door. The drummer looked at them for a few seconds, to make sure they weren't hurt, and ran inside. She entered the bedroom and left seconds later.

 

"Handong! Where are you?"

 

She walked into the kitchen.

 

"Handong!"

 

Yoobin must have been as worried as she was about Minji. Now Handong was in Siyeon's hands, she could even be dead now. Yoohyeon felt her heart break.

 

Yoobin approached them.

 

"Where is she?"

 

The girlfriends looked at each other.

 

"She..." said Yoohyeon, getting up. Minji copied her actions. "Siyeon... she..."

 

"You let her go!" she pushed her. "You let her take Handong with her!"

 

Her cheeks were blushing red, her eyes wet and furious.

 

"Binnie..."

 

"How could you let her escape?!"

 

"Siyeon threatened me... she said she would kill them both... she said I had to choose... she..." Yoohyeon explained between sobs, as Minji stroked her back.

 

"Yoobin..." whispered the leader, trying to ignore the sense of blame in the middle of her chest. "This is no time to look for guilty”.

 

"You didn't think of Handong, you only thought of yourself!" shouted the drummer, ignoring the blonde.

 

"I had no choice, it was her or Minji!" Yoohyeon shouted back. "What would you have done?!"

 

Yoobin was silent, and neither of the two girlfriends expected the impact. Before they knew it, Yoohyeon was back on the floor, with a thread of blood sliding down the left corner of her lower lip.

 

"Yoobin!" replied Minji, crouching beside her girlfriend.

 

Yoobin approached the door, hands made fists.

 

"You're right... I would have done the same as you" she muttered, turning her back on them. "We are even”.

 

Yoohyeon blinked, wiping the blood in her mouth.

 

When the drummer left, it seemed that the temperature in the room had decreased. The girlfriends hugged each other on the floor. Several police officers then entered and began to inspect the apartment, while Yoohyeon cried in her girlfriend's arms and Minji whispered in her ear that nothing was her fault and that everything would be all right.

 

But would everything really be all right?

 

…

 

She dropped the two girls to their knees, approaching the edge. It was her first time on the rooftop of the building, and the view was magnificent. Siyeon smiled as she heard the bunch of sirens, red and blue lights shone down there and raindrops began to fall from the sky.

 

"The end is close!" she laughed, extending her arms.

 

"Closer than you think”.

 

Siyeon turned and smiled.

 

"Oh, there you are. You're late”.

 

Handong and Gahyeon only saw Siyeon talking to herself. She was completely insane.

 

"I'm glad to see you have everything under control" said Bora, placing one hand on Siyeon's shoulder. "You don't need me anymore”.

 

She stopped smiling.

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

"Why have you been fooling yourself all this time? You killed me, I'm not real. Remember that”.

 

Siyeon looked at her and tried to take her hand, but Bora walked away.

 

"You were just looking for an excuse, an impulse to help you get the necessary courage... You fell in love with me, but you know we can't be together”.

 

She was right. Bora was dead. They could never date together. She could never feel the warmth of her skin again. She could never wake up next to her.

 

She looked for the necklace on her neck, but didn't find it. She was losing her, she was really losing her, and forever.

 

"No... That's not true”.

 

She could never kiss her. She couldn't be happy with her. She couldn't show the world how special they were.

 

Never. Because she was dead.

 

"I told you that you would repent" was the last thing she heard.

 

Bora smiled before vanishing into thin air.

 

"No!" she shouted to the sky. "You can't go away from me, Kim Bora!"

 

“Lee Siyeon!”

 

She turned to see the person who had just broken into the place. The girl with pink hair took long steps, approaching. Siyeon pointed her gun at her, but Yoobin didn't stop.

 

The rain increased in intensity.

 

"Do you think I'm afraid of that gun?"

 

"Stop or she will suffer the consequences" she threatened, now pointing to the orange-haired girl, who hugged Gahyeon on the floor.

 

That worked, because Yoobin stopped.

 

Siyeon tried to think, she really tried, but her sanity disappeared with Bora. Now she didn't have a plan, she didn't even need one, just impulses and desires to cause pain and show who had the power at the time. Her mind concentrated on the cry of Handong and Gahyeon, on the rain falling over them and on the gun in her hands.

 

She wanted to hurt.

 

She wanted everyone to suffer.

 

But mostly... she wanted Bora to come back.

 

And her blood boiled with rage because she knew she couldn't bring her back. Bora had abandoned her, and they were to blame. Handong was to blame. Bora had left her alone because of jealousy.

 

Maybe Yoobin was to blame... if she had treated her well in her childhood, she would not have killed Bora.

 

Yes, that's what happened.

 

Or maybe... Siyeon was to blame.

 

"Shut up!" she shouted, banging her head with the gun to stop thinking. "You're all to blame!"

 

Yoobin, Handong and Gahyeon watched the scene without surprise, but trembling with nerves. Siyeon had definitely serious problems.

 

"You..." she pointed to Handong.

 

The chinese girl crawled away backwards. Yoobin held her breath.

 

"Your kindness... your good feelings... your sensitivity..." she grunted. "You were never going to break up with Yoobin, you did it only because I convinced you that it was the right thing to do. You’re weak”.

 

Handong blinked, squeezing Gahyeon to her chest.

 

"And you..." she looked at the younger girl. "Your tenderness... that angel smile... You're so naive!"

 

Yoobin took a slow step, but Siyeon noticed that and aimed at her.

 

"Don't move”.

 

"I told you I'm not afraid of guns" she said, raising her hands. "We can talk about it. Stop this madness”.

 

"Are you trying to negotiate? That's new" laughed Siyeon. "I don't want to talk to you, I want you to suffer”.

 

They were all soaking wet.

 

"Good. So, come get me and let them go”.

 

"Don't you dare give me orders. I'm in control here”.

 

Willing to prove it once more, she took Handong by the arm, Gahyeon tried to stop her, but Siyeon hit her with the gun. Yoobin clenched her fists. Her stomach twisted with fear, nerves, and anger.

 

"Is that all you have?"

 

Siyeon didn't expect that answer.

 

"Aren't you afraid?" she grunted, confused. "Don't you care if Handong dies right now?"

 

The orange-haired girl closed her eyes and lowered her head. She felt so stupid. How could she trust Siyeon so much? How could she not realize that something terrible was going to happen?

 

"This is about the two of us" Yoobin said, approaching three steps. "Do you want to fight? We can fight”.

 

Siyeon snorted, incredulous.

 

"What are you-?"

 

"You seem to think you know everything about everybody, don't you?" she continued. "Let me tell you something about yourself... you're a coward”.

 

Siyeon clenched her teeth.

 

"You're sick, alone and crazy”.

 

"Shut your mouth" she shouted, placing the tip of the gun in Handong's jaw. "I'm going to kill her! Do you hear me?"

 

"You're so cowardly that you can't face me without a gun in your hand" Yoobin took another step. "You don't know how to hurt me, so you threaten me with hurting Handong, because you know that I am stronger than you, more skillful than you. And unlike you, I've always had someone who loves me".

 

"I said... shut up”.

 

"You envy me" Yoobin smiled as she saw that her plan was working.

 

Siyeon pushed Handong to the floor and walked with long steps toward Yoobin as Handong crawled toward Gahyeon. Face to face. The tip of the gun pressed against the drummer's chest.

 

"This didn't have to end like this... sister".

 

Handong looked at both of them, unable to believe what she heard. Siyeon didn't want this. She didn't want to face what she had been denying herself and everyone for so long.

 

"Don't call me like that again" Siyeon grunted, tears streaming down her face. "It's disgusting to share the same blood as you”.

 

Yoobin seized the opportunity and hit Siyeon's arm. The gun fell several meters from them. And there the fight began. Blows, bites, scratches, insults. Yoobin ended up over Siyeon, her hands around her neck, squeezing her throat.

 

"Was it necessary to go that far?"

 

Siyeon grunted, trying to move her hands away while memories flooded her mind.

 

Yoobin had always been her parents' favorite, the one who got the best gifts, the one who partyed with pretty girls every weekend, the one who got the best grades at school. Yoobin was mommy and daddy's special girl. And Siyeon was just the family's black sheep.

 

"You've earned enough all your life, little sister”.

 

Yoobin frowned at her laughing.

 

"Now it's my turn”.

 

Handong screamed when Siyeon pulled a knife out of one of her shoes and stabbed Yoobin in the abdomen with the sharp object, the girl with pink hair fell to the side, holding her wound, and Siyeon got up.

 

"Do you feel it? The pain, the impotence... the rage" Siyeon grunted, kicking Yoobin. "That's what I've felt my whole life and it's all thanks to you!"

 

Siyeon continued to kick Yoobin, who was writhing in pain on the floor, but Handong jumped to her back and buried her teeth in one of her shoulders.

 

"Get off me!"

 

As Siyeon tried to get rid of Handong, Gahyeon ran to the exit with the intention of seeking help. After a few seconds, Siyeon managed to hit the chinese girl on the side and she fell to the floor, trying to get away.

 

"Remember what I said, Dong? Yoobin loves you and would do anything for you. This is what you do for love, isn't it?" she laughed unwillingly.

 

She grabbed Handong by the neck, lifted her up, the orange-haired girl grabbed her wrists, trying to move away while feeling like she was running out of air.

 

"It's a waste... I won! It doesn't matter what you do”.

 

She squeezed the knife into her free hand and stabbed Handong's abdomen with it, then pushed the girl to the floor. Handong coughed, grasping her reddened throat with one hand and holding her wound with the other. When Siyeon turned her head, Yoobin was kneeling, blood was dripping from her shirt, the gun was in her hands and she was aiming in her direction.

 

"No... You wouldn't dare..." laughed Siyeon, raising her hands. "You wouldn't do it”.

 

"Yoobin..." Handong coughed. "Yoobin, don’t..."

 

"You deserve it, Lee Siyeon" Yoobin grunted, shivering with cold and pain.

 

Siyeon extended her arms, taking a couple of steps back, stopping at the edge of the building.

 

"Do it... Do it!" Siyeon defied, laughing grimly. "But I'll come back... I'll kill them all. Minji, Yoohyeon, Taemin, you... And I'll take your pretty girlfriend with me!"

 

She burst out laughing and, before she could say anything else, several shots resounded in the place, accompanied by a shout from Handong, at the same time as a thunder exploded in the sky.

 

Siyeon looked down. One... two... three holes in her body, which began to bleed. Her knees touched the floor. She brought her hands to her face, blood was beginning to come out of her mouth, but she felt no pain, only... the wind against her body. She looked up again. Handong was hugging Yoobin, and behind them three police officers were approaching.

 

Beyond them all, the red-haired boy embraced a frightened and traumatized Gahyeon. Jiwoo was standing next to him, trying to calm her, although both were equally affected by the situation. Now the elephant necklace was in Taemin's neck.

 

Everything began to spin and soon the image of Bora materialized in front of her eyes. She extended her hands towards her, but Bora gave her a cold stare and a teasing smile.

 

Her heart hurt at the rejection, but she stretched out her hand further to touch her.

 

"I told you so" she heard her say.

 

Her face began to look distorted, and her voice became distant. The rain fell on her, as caresses to comfort her.

 

"I told you that you would repent, that you could not flee, and that you would pay for all what you did”.

 

Siyeon sobbed.

 

"I deserve it, I deserve it, I deserve it" she said again and again, but the people around her seemed unable to hear her.

 

The officers in the distance saw her, their faces serious and with a pinch of pity in their eyes, but they didn’t approach her. Handong didn't look at her either, but Yoobin... she didn't take her eyes off her, even though an officer was placing handcuffs on her wrists.

 

Both were still bleeding.

 

"What have I done?" she muttered, looking upward.

 

She did not realize at what moment her body lay completely thrown on the floor. Clouds covered the stars and the moon. The sky was only darkness and grey clouds. Soon she stopped feeling the raindrops falling on her face.

 

She managed to hurt all the girls who had what she didn't have and what she wanted to have; beauty, kindness, tenderness, success, love and justice. She tried to revenge on her sister, and she had also dragged all those close to them.

 

"Forgive me..." she wanted to say, but no one was shocked, so she thought no one heard her. "Forgive me, Bora..."

 

Beside her, Bora crouched and placed her hands on her cheeks. Siyeon didn't feel the warmth of her hands, but she pretended to herself that she did.

 

"Forgive me, Yoobin..." she thought she was coughing, but it was more like a sigh.

 

Her last sigh. Or maybe she had already let it slip away seconds ago.

 

Had she already died?

 

"Bora..." she tried to say, as she was drowning in her own blood. "It's cold".

 

She focused her gaze on Bora's and decided that this would be her last vision. She decided to lose herself in her gaze, whether real or not. The sirens around the building ceased to be heard. Actually, Siyeon could no longer hear anything.

 

She thought of the chessboard. In the pieces scattered over it. The white king was still standing, alive and proud, the white queen at its side... who she had thought was a simple pawn. And Siyeon... the black queen, kneeling in front of them, while Bora, the black king, withdrew from the battlefield.

 

Siyeon was alone. And a lonely queen is a dead queen.

 

She found herself thinking about the last seconds of her life. Was this what she wanted? Was it worth it? Was this the place she wanted to get to? Her eyes closed against her will, and the last thing she saw were Bora's red lips whispering 'checkmate' on her face before kissing her lips. One last gasp came from her mouth, but it could have been real or just her imagination.

 

She went down one step, the next, one more and then another. The stairs seemed infinite. The higher plane was ironically very low and it was hot... it was suffocating.

 

The game was over from the beginning, from the moment her knife slipped down Bora's throat. And there was only one winner...

 

**Death** , caused by herself and her fucking weak mind.

 

**THE END.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all, guys! Yeah, what a surprise that Yoobin and Siyeon were actually sisters, who were denying the family bonds they shared and had a past full of envy, and parental preferences (according to Siyeon). That was unexpected, wasn't it? And in case you're wondering, yes, Siyeon did have a disorder... some kind of schizophrenia, you can say.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, leaving kudos and commenting. I'm really grateful for your support, for having been with me throughout this story (which I really enjoyed writing) and for getting here. I love you all. <3
> 
> I'm sorry if I let someone down and if I did something wrong. Also I apologize for the pitiful attempt of happy ending, I tried my best (at least Siyeon regretted in the end and was aware that what she did was very wrong), but sometimes life is unfair, you know.
> 
> Nothing more to say, besides thank you again... See you soon!


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